Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor
by Fallen Althea
Summary: The 'great war' had already ended, but things didn't turn out the way they should be. Ginny must now swallow all her pride and serve the one family that the whole wizarding world hated. A d/g fic that you've probably never seen before.
1. Prisoner

Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Author: Althea  
  
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine. Just the plot. We're all in the same boat here, waiting for OotP to come out on June. Hey, Anna Fe! I used your poem without asking, hope you don't mind. :-P I'm going to email you anyway to let you know about this page. Hope to see you soon! -Love Lots, Athena. (This chap's for you!)  
  
Spoilers: All four books  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: The Great War is finally over, but things did not turn out the way they should turn out to be. The Malfoy family is the ruler of the wizarding world and the Weasleys are deprived of their remaining diminutive fortune. They are now living in a state of adverse poverty and Ginny is their only hope to survive. Ginny, at present, must swallow all her pride and dignity and serve the only person that she ever hated when she was still in Hogwarts: Draco Malfoy. A d/g fic you've probably never seen before.  
  
Author's Note: This fic is inspired by that bird and fish line from the movie Ever After, plus a bunch of other love quotes that I kept reading and getting stuck in my head. I wondered, would it be cool to -kind of-- compile the not-at-all-mushy quotes together into a neat little HP fic? This is the product of that thought. Please Read and Review!  
  
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Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Chapter One: Prisoner  
  
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~ I wish that I am free as a bird  
  
To do whatever I wish to do  
  
To say whatever I want to say  
  
To go to places I wish to go to  
  
To fly where the wind would take me  
  
But.  
  
I'm not a bird, not as boundless as its wings  
  
I could not act how I yearn to act  
  
Cause I'm a prisoner  
  
A prisoner of humanity ~  
  
-- Anna Fe Leguarda  
  
-  
  
"Know that I love you, and no matter what, I'll see you again."  
  
-  
  
Those were the last words that he said to her. Harry Potter was dying and Ginny was cradling his blood stained face in her hands as if her life depended on his. He said this in great anguish, with blood overflowing from his tainted lips surrounding the dark void filled with red liquid that reminded Ginny briefly of strong red wine.  
  
She was crying, and while she was embracing the only person that loved her for who she really was, she felt the cold sharp pain of defeat and despair running through her frozen veins.  
  
After a few tragic seconds, Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, died right there, at that very moment, wrapped in Ginny's shaking arms.  
  
And now that the worst was over, she and the ones who survived just had to cope up with the reality that not everything turned out the way they hoped it would turn out to be. And that goodness did not always win over evil.  
  
They had been too confident about the outcome of the Great War that they had became careless and unwise about their actions and decisions that ultimately brought this ill-fated outcome. Evil had won and while the wizarding world were in total chaos, there was nothing that they could do but suffer the consequences and blame themselves for their own stupidity and recklessness.  
  
The Weasleys --one of the few surviving wizarding families that were not on Voldemort's side-- were now knee deep in debt and the honor of their family was gone, taken away by a false accusation from Lucius Malfoy himself. Food was scarce that it hardly fitted their needs and the Burrow was demolished and sold to the nearest investor who was willing to take the futile land.  
  
Ginny remembered her family's last full meal together; happily devouring their mother's perfect cooking. It happened on the good old days when Voldemort was not yet defeated and that there was still hope for peace and freedom. She had pitifully made the mistake of not taking gratitude of that last time that they had been together, under one roof, complete and united.  
  
Now, they were scattered.  
  
Charlie and Bill were convicted of Life Imprisonment for a crime that they did not commit. It was a perfect recreation of what happened to Sirius Black. They were framed.  
  
Percy. Percy, even in his last breath, managed to uphold his duty to serve his community. He tried to keep the Dementors away from the Ministry of Magic, but his will alone was not enough to stop the evil creatures from killing all the unfaithful Ministers and replacing them with sinister ones. He received the Dementor's Kiss soon after showing his contradiction to their evil plans. He was worse than dead.  
  
Fred and George, the unbreakable duo. was in the end separated.  
  
George died. And the unfeeling green light was the last thing that he ever saw before his last breath was taken out from him. Fred went senseless and numb soon after his twin's death. He would not eat and shortly became violent that the Aurors have to take him to St. Mungo's even with the frantic shrieks of denial from Mrs. Weasley saying that her son was not crazy.  
  
Arthur Weasley was now at the brink of death, fighting off a terrible disease brought by a potion some Death Eater tricked him into drinking. No spell could heal this fatal ailment  
  
His wife, Ginny's loving mother, Molly Weasley was deposed into a struggling housewife trying to take care of her ill husband.  
  
And Ron. Poor, broken Ron.  
  
Ginny could almost feel his pain and his hurting when she first heard what happened to her sweetest brother. Just when she thought that there was still somebody unscarred by the war to help her heal her own wounds. she found out the awful truth.  
  
Ron was sightless, hit by a blinding curse invented by Voldemort himself. There was no counter curse and he just had to live the remaining years of his life unmindful of the things around him, shaded by the irreversible ailment that the war had bestowed on Ginny's ever faithful friend and loving brother.  
  
Crouched in one of the corners of the undersized damaged vicinity that the Weasleys were relocated into, Ginny caught herself still pondering and crying about what happened to her formerly ideal family.  
  
The Weasleys, one of the most unified and joyous families in wizarding London. was now broken and despondent. Wretched and in agony. They were now a prisoner of malevolent hatred and corrupt officials that now ruled the once peaceful world of the magically gifted.  
  
And just when Ginny Weasley thought things possibly could not get any worse than this regrettable fortune that fate seemed to grant them, she found out just a few minutes later that, again, she was wrong.  
  
***  
  
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Reference:  
  
"Know that I love you and no matter what, I'll see you again." --Brian Sweeney, passenger on hijacked plane (9/11) in message left for his wife, Julie. (From Reader's Digest's Quotable Quotes, November 2001)  
  
A/N: Just a little prologue for you all. Please.  
  
REVIEW!  
  
Let me know that you exist.  
  
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	2. Help Wanted

Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Author's Notes: Chapter Two's up! This chapter contains Ron perspective in his new life and a job opening. *The* job opening. Enjoy!  
  
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Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Chapter Two: Help Wanted  
  
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"There's not enough dust to cloud our love for freedom."  
  
That was what Arthur Weasley said, just before his illness took over him and he was restrained into his deathbed, contemplating on their new status of life in the wizarding world.  
  
And that was also what Ginny was trying Ron to understand. But unfortunately, he would not yield from his self-depriving routine he did everyday.  
  
He became weak and so very powerless ever since he lost his ability so see, and Ginny had spent all her remaining time to make him feel as better as possible. But even with Ginny's determination to add some sense of importance to her brother's ruined life, Ron remained unresponsive and insensitive, saying and still believing that there was really no reason for him to live anymore.  
  
His best friends were dead, including Hermione, his one true love, being killed right after she found out the Dark Lord's ruthless plans. She died weeks before the Great Battle itself and Ron took her death the hardest of all. He would not eat and he would lie awake at night, still thinking about her. He kept pestering Harry and the others to took great care, and at times, Ginny had to admit, he had became too fearful and obsessed about his loved ones' safety that he became too annoying to listen to. Time came that nobody took his opinion seriously and even Fred and George made fun of him then.  
  
But when Harry died, his brothers either convicted or dead, and his ability to see was ripped away from him. he lost all his remaining willpower to do what was right and to keep living. At the moment, and probably every day since he became blind, he just sat at one corner of their small quarters and stare at nothing all day long with his inactive eyes, thinking about various things and living in his own little world.  
  
He lost his spirit the moment almost all that mattered to him disappeared in a flash and left him, but his love for the surviving ones still remained, deep in his heart, fogged by the blind frontage that life had bestowed upon him.  
  
Ginny watched him from another corner, the clanging of cooking pots ringing in her ears. Her mother was probably cooking again, she thought, finally getting up from her uncomfortable seat and ultimately giving up on watching her brother because she already knew that it did no good whatsoever to both of them.  
  
She entered the stunted room that served as their kitchen, and found her mother doing just what she had thought. Food was limited, yes, that was true, but that fact did not stop her mother from cooking the little rations that they could get, and turning it into sumptuous delicacies.  
  
But something was wrong, she could tell just by looking at her mother's grim expression and her uncommonly hunched back. Because even with the problems and the regrettable poverty that they were trapped into like quick sand, Molly Weasley still kept her poise and composure through the hard times, but by just one glimpse of the plump struggling mother, Ginny could tell that something was not right.  
  
"Mom, what's the matter?" she asked, taking her place beside the wretched woman.  
  
Molly stopped stirring the grimy-looking soup that she was working on.  
  
"You know you can tell everything to me, Mother," she pressed. "We only got each other to take care of after all."  
  
Molly sighed.  
  
"Nothing's wrong, Ginny," she answered. "It's just that. somebody stopped by earlier this morning asking if. No, it doesn't matter. I've already decided."  
  
"Decided what?" Ginny asked. "Mom, what are you talking about?"  
  
"I told you, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."  
  
"Come on, I know you're hiding something from me," she said. "I have every right to know!"  
  
"Ok, fine," Molly finally gave up. "Mary Dale, Malfoy Manor's head housekeeper visited earlier, saying that they're a bit understaffed. and asked if you are interested. I already told her no."  
  
There was a noticeable tension in the air and a beat passed by without any noise coming from either of them.  
  
"How much is the pay?" Ginny finally asked without looking at her mother in the eye, trying to sound as casually as possible.  
  
"Ginny, what are you saying?" she replied, rather shaken by the innocent question. "I already said no, end of discussion!"  
  
"Mother, I'm asking you how much is the pay. Why can't you answer me?"  
  
Molly heaved a sigh once again, and made eye contact with Ginny.  
  
"I should have known that there is no use denying it from you," she started. "Fine, you want to know the truth. they're paying an oddly large amount of money for an extra maid. But that does not mean that-"  
  
"I'm taking the job," Ginny cut her off somewhat forcefully, a fierce fire of determination evident in her eyes.  
  
"No, you will not!" Molly bellowed. "This is the reason why I did not want to tell you! There is no use being a slave for those disdainful people! We can manage it by ourselves."  
  
"But can we, Mom?" Ginny replied. "You know that I know that we are fighting for our lives here! Dad's sick and Ron's. Ron's blind! And the only people that could bring our heads above water are you and I. and we could not survive if you take down opportunities like this! We cannot stay alive with pea soup as our main energy source, shivering in a sickening shelter such as this!"  
  
Try as she might, Molly could no longer contain the tears forming in her eyes. She let them go, unashamed of what her daughter would think.  
  
"I just couldn't bear to imagine you serving those arrogant imbeciles! We are better than them, Ginny, and being their. their *maid*, would be suicide! Do you have any idea what I'm feeling right now?"  
  
"Mom, please. stop," Ginny hugged her crying mother, the usual act of the mother protecting her daughter momentarily reversed. "I'm no happier to do this than you are. but just remember, I'm doing this for you. For all of you. Please mom, just let me-"  
  
"Pack your things," Molly curtly and somewhat coldly said, pushing Ginny away. "I'm going to owl Mary."  
  
***  
  
-  
  
Reference:  
  
"There's not enough dust to cloud our love for freedom." --Fernando Zamora and Miguel Rivera, Columbia University Students in response for the 9/11 tragedy. (Reader's Digest's Quotable Quotes, November 2001)  
  
Please REVIEW!  
  
Let me know that you exist.  
  
- 


	3. Of Masters and Manors

Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Disclaimer: HP canon characters and places belong to JKR. This chapter contains quotes, characters and references from the Sweet Valley spin-off series created by Francine Pascal, written by Laurie John called "Elizabeth". No money is being made, so please don't sue. Other citations will be made if necessary.  
  
Spoilers: All four books and the paperback series "Elizabeth".  
  
Author's Notes: This chapter's or all you Francine Pascal/Sweet Valley/Elizabeth fans! If you read the book, please consider this as the HP version of it. Also, thanks for all those who reviewed! You made me very happy indeed! It's just so ironically funny that the easiest fics that I had ever written are the ones who get more reviews. And I have nothing against that, please do continue!  
  
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Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Chapter Three: Of Masters and Manors  
  
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Ginny sat on a rough wooden chair near the work island of the kitchen, taking the warmth of the fire with visible relief from the Weasley's cold quarters. The aroma of perfectly cooked steak and soup was extremely distracting, so instead, she just concentrated on acting as confident and self-assured as she could, which wasn't easy since she felt like a total imposter.  
  
She looked around her, trying to drink in as many details as possible. The beautiful brunette, which she previously learned by accidental eavesdropping, named Natalie Mc Donald, was busy banging dishes around. Was it Ginny's imagination, or was she looking at her with scorn? She eyed the girl uneasily, but her attention was caught by the crashing of ceramic on stone - Emma Dobbs, another maid, had dropped a plate from the dishwasher onto the floor.  
  
Ginny saw that Mary eyed the somewhat clumsy maid with great contempt but eventually ignored the mousy girl and settled on observing Ginny instead.  
  
"I'm Mary Dale," the woman said, extending her hand. "I'm the head housekeeper, and in charge of hiring for the Malfoy Manor."  
  
Ginny shook the hand.  
  
"What's your name?" Mary asked.  
  
Ginny involuntarily thought that it was absurd that, after rapid packing- taking only what she really needed and shoving it into her brown traveling bag-and brief goodbyes to Ron-saying that she was working on a new pub in town-Ginny was currently sitting in front of the stern-looking Mary Dale, the said head housekeeper, encountering her first job interview.  
  
She also thought it was peculiar that Mary knew her mother but had no idea what her name was.  
  
"Ginny Weasley," she answered, her voice unpleasantly squeaking just the slightest bit.  
  
"I'll cut to the chase if you don't mind. I reckon that you've been dying to know why I even considered convincing your mother to persuade you into being a maid. The problem, Ms. Ginny Weasley," Mary continued as she looked at Ginny from head to toe with an unclear expression, "and I know that you won't like it, given your family and the Malfoy's famous dispute, is that we'll need at least a six-month commitment from you."  
  
She plucked a rose from one of the large arrangements and placed it in a sterling silver bud vase, which she added to the tray that Natalie was working on, oblivious to Ginny's blanching face.  
  
Six months? Ginny paled. That sounded like the worst news that she heard in a long time, and that was saying something because of the almost literal hell that they had been through. Could she survive six months serving obnoxious people that she hated with all her being?  
  
But after a while, she just closed her eyes and took a deep breath, fierce determination on her mind, simply thinking over and over again that she was really doing this for her family. She had made her decision.  
  
"That sounds fine," Ginny said as neutrally as possible. She did not want to betray her uneasiness and fear by sounding too upset.  
  
"We're rather short staffed at the moment, or I wouldn't think about hiring you at all," Mary said frankly as she moved around the kitchen, checking on things as she went. She had an air of competence that was at once intimidating and reassuring. "One of our maids just left, and Lord Lucius is hosting a rather grand wedding here in six months. His son, as you might have known him, Draco Malfoy-Master Draco, as he likes to be called- is getting married in six months, and we have our work cut out for us, preparing for the wedding."  
  
Master? Ginny now felt sick the moment that she imagined herself calling the only person that she ever detested when she was still in Hogwarts, 'Master'.  
  
"I see," Ginny said, nodding as if it were totally acceptable for her to address that selfish git respectively. "But if you don't mind me asking, why not get house elves like any other." she hesitated, "decent families in wizarding London?"  
  
Palpable action suddenly broke lose the moment the second question left Ginny's mouth. Emma broke yet another ceramic, the ladle that Matilda, the cook, was holding fell mechanically unto the floor, and Natalie left the kitchen altogether.  
  
Mary looked like she was going to have a heart attack.  
  
Ginny shrunk back shamefully, regretting what she had done. It was obvious that this weird question had some redundant effects on them.  
  
A tense moment later, Mary finally got her composure back.  
  
"Funny you should ask, Ms. Weasley," she started, strangely avoiding eye contact. "Just a few months ago, Mistress Malfoy made this new. 'improvement' on the manor's household. She ordered that all the house elves to leave and vacate their positions and replace them with. 'real people' as she said, and tried to convince Lord Lucius and Master Draco that the mansion needs more. ' real people' to live in its vast spaces. To tell you the truth, Lord Lucius and Master Draco was none too happier to this rules."  
  
Ginny tried to digest this information and nodded once again.  
  
"And that's also the reason why I should ask for your wand right now," Mary said.  
  
Ginny grew pale once more. Surrender her wand? That was totally unspeakable! She would be powerless as a muggle in front of the most feared and violent family of the wizard world!  
  
"It's just standard procedure, given that here in the manor, no servant should use magic while doing their work. And also the Malfoys don't want to take the risk of a servant cursing them in their sleep or charming their personal possessions. Don't worry; we'll keep your wand in a secure place together with the others. You'll get it back the day you leave the manor."  
  
Mary extended her hand and Ginny put her wand reluctantly into it.  
  
"The pay isn't much, but as you might have thought, it would probably help your family's. financial problems," Mary continued, as she pocketed Ginny's wand. "But you do get your room and board as well."  
  
Ginny's head was whirling. An over whelming surge of emotion came over her, and she fought the impulse to burst into tears. Somehow, some way, she had stumbled onto the Malfoy Manor; a twist of fate that meant she wasn't going to spend the night huddled on the cold hard floor of the Weasley's temporary home, but would be serving the family that she swore she would never bow down to.  
  
"Do you want the job?" Mary asked bluntly.  
  
"Yes," Ginny blurted out, half afraid that if she did not answer as soon as possible, she would lose the nerve to agree to this terrible proposition, and that Mary would rescind her offer. "Yes, I do."  
  
"Good." Mary nodded. "You'll start tomorrow. Natalie will show you to your room." Mary waved a hand toward Natalie, who stared expressionless at Ginny. "You'll share a room with Natalie and Emma, the other two kitchen maids here."  
  
Ginny once again nodded, feeling as if there was no turning back from this grave situation that she was knee deep in.  
  
***  
  
"And this is the right wing of the first floor of the Malfoy Manor, where Lord Lucius's office is, as well as the main ballroom and library," sixteen- year-old Natalie McDonald droned, her voice stiff with boredom, her almond- shaped brown eyes dulled and flat. After all, showing people around the manor at the end of a hard day's work was hardly Natalie's idea of entertainment.  
  
Particularly when that person was the new kitchen maid, Ginny Weasley, a girl who already in her short acquaintanceship with Natalie had proved herself to be a pain in the neck.  
  
Ginny said nothing as they rounded the staircase and entered the dark ballroom, taking in the plush blood-red carpeting, the creepy and moving oil portraits of the Malfoy lineage lining the walls, the wallpaper threaded through with greed and gray, reflecting off the crystal beads of a huge antique chandelier that hung from the high, vaulted ceiling.  
  
Natalie flashed Ginny a sullen look. The girl was annoying to the extreme, all morose and reluctant, as if the last thing that she wanted was to be touring the immense magnitude of the manor. And then there was the way she looked: so fresh and scrubbed even with her intense flaming red hair. Everything about Ginny screamed unenthusiastic incentive, and Natalie was not in the mood for lack of enthusiasm. And she was not up for playing tour guide to some redhead with disinclination issues.  
  
Natalie quickened her pace as she led Ginny out of the ballroom and down the long sinister corridor. Fortunately, she was now used to the manor's disturbing air that she was not fearful at all, unlike Ginny who was visibly shivering beside her.  
  
"I reckon you want to ask what's the family 'really' like," Natalie started, her mouth twisting into a cold smile of contempt. "Well, no need to ask. They're like all the rest is what they're like!"  
  
She blazed down the corridor, enjoying the sounds of Ginny struggling to catch up. "Lord Lucius is a boor and downright merciless. He has a mouth like a chain saw so watch yourself or he'll bite your head off!"  
  
Good, Natalie thought, smiling inwardly at Ginny's expression. She's visibly blanched at Natalie's words. "And as for the other two, Master Draco is as playful as a mouse but also as ruthless as his father. The Mistress is probably the neutral one of the three, but the most interfering of them all. She thinks she's helping when she's really just infuriating all the maids."  
  
Excellent! Natalie couldn't help enjoying Ginny's expression. She was like a steadily deflating balloon. "If you don't mind your attitude here," Natalie continued, stamping on the stairs as she made her way up, "you're toast. Believe me, these people are as soulless as they are spoiled. They're a nightmare to work for, and the atmosphere here is one of complete fear."  
  
As she grabbed on about the Malfoy Manor, Natalie threw in a few extra tidbits: The earl hated all the staff and wouldn't lower himself to look you in the eye. If you were ever caught using the main staircase instead of the servant's staircase, you'd be fired without pay. If you were caught standing, Lord Lucius would fire you because he was paranoid about eavesdropping.  
  
Naturally, she was exaggerating. Surprisingly, life in Malfoy Manor was no worse than life in the real world. They did not really care about the servants and did not communicate with them. They had their own lives, as the servants did to. So they were practically free to do what they want for the rest of the day except when there was work to be done.  
  
"I'm not sure I can handle this," Ginny murmured, as they swept past a giant parlor and down a never-ending passage of studies and libraries.  
  
"I see you have good listening skills," Natalie retorted caustically. "That will come in handy. Because ever single day here you get lectured at. Either by Matilda or by Mary. If you ever open your mouth and try and defend yourself while being accused of something, you're out on your arse, know what I mean? Speak when spoken 'to', now when spoken 'at', get it?"  
  
"Remember, Ginny, you're a kitchen maid now," Natalie hissed as they pressed on and up to the second-floor staircase. "Wherever and whoever you were before, you're just a girl with a sponge and bucket here. Got that?"  
  
"I think I may be in too deep," Ginny whispered urgently, her eyes clouded with worry.  
  
"Relax!" Natalie replied with a dry laugh as they passed Lord Lucius's luxurious suite. "Trust me, you *are* allowed to breath here! Tip: Take what I say with a grain of salt. Not a teaspoon, a grain."  
  
Marginally relieved, Ginny let out a small smile on her still fearful face.  
  
"You'll be fine," Natalie said coolly as she guided Ginny up to the third floor. "Yes you'll survive, but over all, you'll have a none too easy time here. Might as well be honest about that!"  
  
They finally entered the bedroom and Natalie once again put on her tour guide act. "And this is our plush suite," she intoned sarcastically. "Bathroom in the corner, you bed and closet are to the far left. We share with Emma Dobbs, who is mostly Mary's help but ours too. Emma is dull as a block of cement and has the IQ of a crustacean, but she minds herself, stays out of the way. Here's your key," Natalie added, shoving her hand into her pocket and tossing Ginny a gold key on a rusty ring.  
  
Ginny caught it.  
  
"Thanks." She said, looking warily around her. She then mustered what Natalie could see was a brave smile rather than a genuine one.  
  
Natalie turned and made for the door. As she turned, she couldn't help the tweak of sympathy that snaked through her insides. Ginny was really worn out. Alone. Natalie knew that feeling only too well.  
  
It must be hard to adjust to a new life, Natalie thought.  
  
Ginny Weasley, kitchen maid. This was her life now.  
  
***  
  
-  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
If you paid enough attention to the Goblet of Fire, you'll know that Emma Dobbs and Natalie McDonald are not original characters, but two of the first years the sorting hat sorted. Emma's house is unknown (we're going to make her a Hufflepuff) while Natalie was sorted into Gryffindor.  
  
Also, this chapter was longer than I expected, hope you don't mind and would still read the other chapters that I assure you would be better and will hopefully be less angsty. Also please REVIEW, I already know that 10+ people exist, let me know that you do to.  
  
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	4. A Royal Pain

Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Disclaimer: Canon HP characters/places are by JKR, and the series Elizabeth is created by Francine Pascal, written by Laurie John. To all "Elizabeth" fans, consider this fic as the HP version of it since I'm telling you right now that there are *major* similarities between this and the series.  
  
A/N: Thanks for the support and the reviews! Also special thanks for those who emailed me just to comment on the fic because of some technical difficulties with the stupid review board! Feel free to do that also if you like.  
  
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Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Chapter Four: A Royal Pain  
  
-  
  
"Seven A.M. on the dot!" Mary chirped in a thick cockney accent from the small office to the side of the kitchen. "You're right on time, Ginny," she added, looking over her spectacles at Ginny Weasley, the new kitchen maid, who was reporting for her first morning of duty.  
  
Ginny stifled a yawn. She had trouble sleeping last night because of the new environment that she was in, that she woke up earlier that morning with her head feeling kind of waterlogged.  
  
"I'm afraid we've got no time for chitchat," Mary continued matter-of- factly, cocking her head and appraising Ginny with small, shrewd eyes, her tight gray bun tilting with her head. "There's a lot to go over, so I'll get straight to business."  
  
"Of course," Ginny smiled as Mary began to outline Ginny's kitchen duties.  
  
"You remember Matilda, the Cook, from last night," Mary said, gesturing toward a woman hovering over a range of hot stoves off to one side of the giant kitchen. "The Mistress insisted on making the food muggle-way since she said it just tastes better. I'm in no position to argue so thus the stoves. You'll be working for Matilda, doing whatever she needs to get meals planned and prepared."  
  
Matilda nodded at Ginny and smiled briefly. Ginny returned the kind gesture.  
  
"Your duties are restricted to the kitchen and the dining room," Mary stated in her strong, almost Scottish sounding accent. "You will report for the morning shift every morning at seven-thirty A.M., whereupon you and Natalie will begin laying the table, helping Matilda with the food, and otherwise readying yourselves for the family breakfast. Your day ends at six-thirty P.M."  
  
Ginny nodded constantly as Mary paraded her through the giant kitchen, reeling off a list of duties and kitchen dos and don'ts. It was rather overwhelming, but Ginny gleaned the basic important stuff. They would do meal preparations as well as serve the family, clean up, and ensure the kitchen was 'spotless' after.  
  
"Sounds like a long day; however, you will have breaks in your schedule as well as an hour for your own lunch," Mary added as she finished walking Ginny around the kitchen. "You may do with your breaks as you please."  
  
Mary finished as Natalie broke into the room, still looking sleepy eyed and sluggish.  
  
"Take a mop and get a bucket from Natalie, would you, Ginny," Mary said. "The floor needs mopping."  
  
Ginny did so while Mary had begun to talk about the finer points of the job, warning her to be mindful of etiquette and 'most important of all' to 'speak *only* when spoken to'. It was quite similar to what Natalie had said, but definitely not as harsh, although clearly Malfoy Manor had a lot of rules and regulations.  
  
"Mind yourself and you'll do just fine,"" Mary concluded. "Make sure to keep your uniform as clean as possible too. You should always wear an apron in the kitchen, but take it before you go out to serve the family."  
  
Ginny nodded glancing down at the uniform with distaste. It was exactly what she dreaded it to be. A pleaded navy blue knee-short dress that made her look like an uninventive prostitute.  
  
But she was in no place to complain.  
  
She was a maid now, digressed to a position no wizard wanted to be in.  
  
***  
  
*Here goes!* Ginny swallowed nervously as she picked up a silver coffeepot, which she had just refilled, smoothed her hair with her free hand, and prepared to enter the dining room.  
  
This was her first serving to the Malfoy family, and aside from glaring at Draco in the halls of Hogwarts and meeting his father in Flourish and Blotts almost a decade ago, she hadn't personally met the family yet.  
  
Natalie had served during lunch while Ginny helped Matilda with preparations and scrubbed dirty pans. But now it was 1:30 P.M., and Natalie had opted out of serving Lord Lucius his second cup of coffee.  
  
"You go," she had said sullenly to Ginny. "I've had enough for one mealtime."  
  
Ginny took a deep breath and entered the dining room.  
  
She glanced at the three wizards occupying the enormous table, which were Lucius, Draco and Narcissa, and kept her head bowed down very low so maybe. just maybe, they would not recognize her.  
  
Lucius Malfoy, as expected, looked like an evil, oafish ogre that Natalie had made him out to be. He had the Daily Prophet covering his face, and Ginny slowly made her way to him and carefully filled his china coffee cup.  
  
She then hurriedly turned around preparing to run back to the kitchen, when Draco, who was sitting at the right side of his father, spoke up.  
  
"Who's the new maid, Father?" Draco asked.  
  
Lucius put down his newspaper and glanced at Ginny.  
  
"What is your name, servant?" he tactlessly asked.  
  
For a moment there, Ginny considered inventing a new name to tell the Malfoys but thought against it. It was no use, anyway. Sooner or later, they would know that, she, Ginny Weasley, was their new maid.  
  
"Virginia, Lord Lucius," she politely answered, giving them her less recognized name.  
  
"'Virginia' what?" Draco pressed.  
  
Ginny had no choice.  
  
"Virginia Weasley. Master," she replied, feeling stiff and uncomfortable at addressing Draco as her 'master'.  
  
"Virginia *Weasley*?" Draco droned, intoning the word 'Weasley' as if it was the funniest thing in the world. He had also this annoying amused look on his face that was further depicted by that arrogant smirk that was slowly forming on his lips.  
  
A stiff pause followed.  
  
"Father, how many families with 'Weasley' as their last name are there in the wizard world?" Draco then asked, as if still not believing that a part of their most hated family was literally serving their lunch.  
  
Lucius smiled.  
  
"I believe there is only one," he answered.  
  
Ginny felt her face turn redder than the beet salad she had laid out for the family buffet.  
  
"So, you're the sister of Potter's red-headed sidekick," Draco supposed, giving Ginny the head-to-toe.  
  
"Yes," she answered, a strange feeling settling itself on her stomach as she heard Harry's name once again after two long years.  
  
"See Draco," Lucius said, dismissing Ginny completely as she turned around and tried to reach the entrance to the kitchen before she heard any more insults thrown at her family, but was unsuccessful in accomplishing the task because of the extensive space that the dining room had.  
  
"I told you that someday, the Weasleys would serve us and bow at our very feet," Lucius stated. "Just a matter of time, and now, look!"  
  
Lucius looked genuinely happy while Draco's expression was a mix of wonder and amusement.  
  
Lowering her eyes, Ginny slipped out of the dining room, eager to get as far from the family as possible, shame burning through her face as she realized how silly she'd been to think that she would survive six months serving the Malfoys without putting her family's dignity in the line.  
  
Here, she was the lowest, not the equal she was once. Because then, even with Draco's bragging about their wealth and fortune, Ginny was not affected by any of it unlike her brother, because she knew that even if they were, to some extent a little deprived of certain desires and wishes, she and the Malfoys were still equal.  
  
But now that the wizarding world was in chaos, the fine line between good and evil diminished, nothing was the same.  
  
Social status was everything  
  
'And you're the lowest,' Ginny reminded herself. 'So stay down!'  
  
***  
  
"So, Ron's baby sister is our new maid." Draco quipped, lying lazily on his stylish double-sized bed enveloped in delicate green and silver satin covering, while currently watching Ginny clean his bedroom's bulky and utterly unkempt fireplace. "Who would have thought that this sudden transformation would happen?"  
  
Covered in soot and downright tired and exhausted from a day's worth of hard labor, Ginny was currently scrubbing Draco's fireplace clean, wondering why the hell did Draco asked for *her* to clean his damned room.  
  
She was obviously supposed to work in the kitchen and dining room *only*, but for some reason, Draco requested Mary to send Ginny up, saying that he was dissatisfied by the cleaning maid's 'performance'. Ginny hated to think what might that meant.  
  
Whether the request was for insulting her family again and hurling its honor out the window or was it plainly just for his amusement, Ginny did not know.  
  
"So tell me, Virginia," Draco again spoke up, resting lazily on his bed, watching Ginny in a way that made her feel very uncomfortable. "How did you happen to have come down here, to our little manor?"  
  
Ginny fumed inside. She was definitely in no mood to have a question and answer game with Draco. She was dirty, and tired, and irritable and the last thing that she needed was to play mindless games with the renowned humorous fool.  
  
"An answer anytime this millennium would be quite nice," he intoned sarcastically.  
  
"We need the money, that's all," Ginny answered grudgingly, trying to work as fast as she could so she could get out of there as soon as possible, before any more questions were asked. and a certain blond's head was ripped off its body.  
  
Beautiful silence followed.  
  
Ginny was starting to think that this day wasn't so bad after all. She survived and that was all that mattered. Maybe the alarming six months of misery would pass by without her noticing it and sooner or later, she would be on her way home, kissing her mother and brother in relief that the worst was over.  
  
"Do you think there's such a place as hell?" Draco suddenly asked, out of the blue, going as off topic as possible, and causing the wonderful peacefulness to shatter and die.  
  
Or maybe not. The worst was definitely just beginning.  
  
'What kind of question is that?' Ginny thought, rubbing furiously at a certain demanding spot. She decided to ignore the question altogether. Maybe Draco would finally give up when he realized that she was undeniably in no mood to cooperate.  
  
"Are you deaf or just plain stupid?" Draco snapped, looking quite annoyed with Ginny's lack of interest.  
  
In exasperation, and just to shut Draco up, it was Ginny who finally gave up, quickly turning around to face the annoying bastard.  
  
"I believe that there is a hell," she answered confidently, looking Draco in the eye for the very first time since she arrived in the Malfoy Manor. "And it's where broken souls pay for their past mistakes.and maybe have some minute quantity of that treasured word 'redemption'."  
  
Ginny went back to pick up her cleaning supplies and prepared to leave. She didn't care if the fireplace was only half done. It was not in her line of work after all. She was finished being the obeying servant, and was over and done with acting like she cared about anything that had something to do with the Malfoys.  
  
"Do you think I'll go to hell?" Draco unexpectedly asked, a strange softness and quietness hiding behind the rough edges of his voice. The tone was still quite annoying, just for the reason that it was nonetheless coming from a Malfoy, but there was this peculiar faintness that was exceedingly unusual for a wizard like him to say.  
  
Ginny felt this sudden and unpredicted sympathy for Draco, creeping up her veins, and she almost felt sorry for the 'poor little rich boy' as she gathered up her cleaning provisions. But still, her response was somewhat the complete opposite of that unexpected feeling.  
  
"You'll never go to hell, Master," she replied. "Satan won't allow such competition."  
  
And with that, she picked up her things and left the bedroom, leaving the open-mouthed Draco to ponder on what had just happened.  
  
***  
  
-  
  
A/N: Again, another long chapter. Why can't I make below 1500-words' chapters anymore so they would be easier to read? Either way, please, please, please REVIEW!  
  
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	5. The Unexpected Task

Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Disclaimers: Standard disclaimers apply.  
  
A/N: To all "Elizabeth" fans: A contrary to what you might have thought, even though this fic has numerous and major similarities to the series, that does *not* mean that it's going to have *exactly* the same plotline and ending. I have my own plot and conclusion and I'm just borrowing some scenes from the series to make this work better. So that also means that you still have no idea what the ending will be because I assure you that it has nothing to do with the book. But on another note, the usual follows. Thanks for the reviews! I Lurrvve you guys all!  
  
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Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Chapter Five: The Unexpected Task  
  
-  
  
"Ginny, after you're done with the dishes, you can move on to mopping the floor clean," Mary Dale said, walking around the spacious kitchen, inspecting the maids' work as she went. "I want to see it completely *spotless* when I come back to examine what you have done."  
  
Natalie, who was furiously scrubbing dirty pans clean on the other sink and was standing just behind lecturing Mary, visibly rolled her eyes. Ginny fought down the laugh that was threatening to come up.  
  
"This morning when I went down just before dawn, I could swear I saw some filthy mouse scurrying from the pantry!" she exclaimed as if it was such a tragic factor. "We can't let those foul creatures invade our kitchen!"  
  
'Yes, we can't let *foul creatures* run around the house,' Ginny sardonically thought, finishing up the dishes and moving onwards to get the mop, 'Especially when equally foul monsters live in it. They might convene and live happily ever after. Then where would we be?'  
  
It pleased Ginny to realize that her second day was clearly 'brighter' than her disastrous first day on working as a maid in Malfoy Manor. In Ginny's opinion, it was entirely just because of one simple reason. She didn't get to meet any member of the Malfoy family that day because Lucius and Draco were out in town and didn't came back until later that night, and since Narcissa was home alone, she requested her food to be delivered into her own room.  
  
Things were definitely looking up.  
  
"I'm going to leave for a moment," Mary announced, taking off her apron and hanging it on the rack. "I and Master Draco just have something to talk about, I'll be back in a few minutes. I trust that you three will behave especially now that Matilda had retired earlier than usual because of her headache. I hope that you will also be finished with all your chores when I return!"  
  
She finally left, striding through the kitchen doors with an air of strict aptitude, as if going to meet and talk to 'Master Draco' was one of the most important things that she had the honor of doing in her entire life.  
  
Ginny once again fought down a chuckle, but then let it out once Mary was in a safe distance.  
  
"What an uptight lady!" Ginny exclaimed, finally feeling as if she was free to do and say anything that she wanted.  
  
"Tell me about it!" Emma replied enthusiastically, rubbing the tarnished sink in a vain attempt to restore its natural whiteness. Ginny didn't know where Emma got all her energy and eagerness to serve such conceited people, do such draining work and still be contented and joyful most of the time. Too much endorphin, she guessed.  
  
"This is stupid!" Natalie suddenly cried out, dropping the still dirty pans that she was irately scrubbing just a few minutes ago. She went over to Emma's sink and snatched the brush that she was holding out of her grasp. She did the same with Ginny's mop.  
  
"Natalie, what are you doing?" Ginny asked, quite surprised by her sudden outburst. "Mary might be back any second!"  
  
"I don't care!" Natalie snapped. "These muggle.*ways* are ridiculous! Why can't they let us use our wands in cleaning the kitchen! If they did so, we'll be finished in a second! The room will be *spotless* and we wouldn't suffer like this! A simple spell could turn this run-down vicinity into a grand plush suite!"  
  
"Well," Emma answered meekly. "What about the curses that Mary was talking about? She did have a point about the wands being used for."  
  
"Emma, don't tell me you're on their side!" Natalie exclaimed. "You have no idea what's really going on in here. Keep your mouth closed when you have nothing remotely intelligent to say."  
  
Emma noticeably cringed, backing away into the shadows. Ginny could have sworn that she saw mists of tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"Natalie, that wasn't very nice!" Ginny said, trying to stay on the neutral side as possible. It was just her second day at work and making enemies was not on her day's agenda.  
  
"So?" Natalie retorted. "What did you expect? I'm not going to act as if things here are amenable and fair! We are also wizards, and we have every right to use magic if they're going to be for the better. Five months I had put up with these injudicious rules, but it's just too much! I did not spend four years studying in Hogwarts just to be forbidden to practice what I've learned. Why do they do this to us?"  
  
"Because they're heartless spoiled parasites, that's what they are," Ginny remarked. "They act as if they're better than us. More powerful, more worthy, just because they're purebloods. I am too! But still they have money so they think that we're beneath them."  
  
"Here we go again, the pure-blood, half-blood issue," Natalie sighed.  
  
"I bet if Harry Potter's still here, he could kick Draco's arse out the window," Emma said.  
  
"Emma, would you stop that?" Natalie cringed. "We do not speak of the dead! He may be The Boy Who Lived, but not anymore."  
  
The Boy Who Lived.  
  
Ginny felt as if she was transported back to that tragic moment.  
  
Was it still sensible to call the legendary Harry Potter that infamous title?  
  
Because it was quite the precise contrary of what had happened, and the exact opposite of what all the wizards thought will. Harry Potter died, and even though Voldemort's status was still unknown, that did not erase the fact that he was still laying ten feet under the ground at that very moment.  
  
"Ginny, are you alright?" Emma asked, his eyes portraying genuine concern. "You kinda spaced out."  
  
"Sorry, I'm just thinking about. I was just thinking," she answered.  
  
"Oh, please!" Natalie exclaimed. "Cut the sentimental crap before I puke all over the newly mopped floor. Get to work before Virgin Mary comes back."  
  
"Gee, Natalie," Emma innocently said. "I wonder who distracted us from our work in the first place?"  
  
"Who asked you?" Natalie snapped, pushing past Ginny on her way to the stairs, leading on to the maid's quarters. A second later, she disappeared from sight.  
  
"What's with her?" Ginny inquired, looking over to Emma--who was finishing her chores--with a bewildered expression.  
  
"Oh, she's always like that," she answered. "In my opinion, she needs some man in her life, if you know what I mean."  
  
***  
  
"Ginny, may I speak with you for a minute?"  
  
It was a few minutes after Natalie stormed out of the kitchen, into the maid's quarters, and just as Emma was finishing with her insufferable task, she heard Mary enter the kitchen with an unusual grim expression and approached Ginny inviting her to talk.  
  
She heard a slight chatter, but just as Emma was starting to get bored with her unintentional eavesdropping, Ginny let out this rather blaring holler, and she too thundered up to their room, leaving her and Mary to just look at each other, Emma with confusion and curiosity and Mary with gloom and disbelief.  
  
Emma looked away, out of fear that Mary would notice that she was prying around. She did so, but not before she had this curious impression that things were going to be pretty.tense around here.  
  
Because whatever Mary told Ginny, it was obviously not such pleasant news.  
  
***  
  
-  
  
A/N: Sorry for the 'nothing-happened' chapter here. It's just that, I was getting really frustrated because I couldn't seem to finish the whole chapter as planned, so I decided to actually split it into two, and it's getting too long as well.  
  
Anyway, next chap, some d/g. action (?) for y'all.  
  
Have a heart and click that 'OK' button down there.  
  
(And if for some reason it didn't work, feel free to email me if you like.)  
  
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	6. Annoyingly Gorgeous

Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor (6/?)  
  
A/N: Hey people! I'm back! Sincerest apologies go out to all of those who were waiting for this chapter to be uploaded. Especially to those who emailed me and posted on the review board multiple times. And even for those who already gave up hoping that I would ever finish this fic. I admit it, I had this really *really* bad case of writer's block and laziness combined that I just couldn't finish the chapter without it turning out to be a complete piece of crap. Plus, I've been awfully busy with other things. I am now 'hopefully' cured. (Yay!)  
  
-  
  
Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Chapter Six: Annoyingly Gorgeous  
  
-  
  
"Look, I know that the news yesterday evening surprised you, but-"  
  
"You don't understand, Mary," Ginny exclaimed, trying to sound as calm as possible even though she was already fuming inside. "I don't want, and I will not *be* his personal servant!"  
  
It had been almost exactly twelve hours after Mary, the head housekeeper of Malfoy Manor, told Ginny about that dreadful, but quite amusing news. That Draco Malfoy wanted Ginny Weasley, the new maid, to be his personal servant. And he was also willing to pay an obscenely large amount of money for it.  
  
Until now, Ginny still couldn't grasp that idea in her mind. She thought Draco hated her, and she even made that cheap comment about him not going to hell. He should be angry with her even without the background of the long history of their families being mortal enemies. So what was this? Punishment?  
  
She first had been taken aback by this rather astonishing news, but then laughed at Mary's bewildered face, still not daring to believe what she had just heard from the stern head housekeeper herself. She had sputtered out something saying that Mary must've been joking, but by the appalled and irate expression that had erupted out of Mary's features, she should've known better to realize that the firm and unsympathetic woman did not tell jokes.  
  
So, hence, there they were, in the kitchen again having that dreaded conversation, Mary still persuading Ginny to accept the policies since she would be getting an exceptionally huge amount of money added to her usual salary, but then she would have to agree about being Malfoy Junior's personal servant, following him wherever he will go and obeying his every foolish whims.  
  
"No, Ginny," Mary Dale said in a soft strained voice. "I fear that you're the one who doesn't understand. You *will* be fired if you don't agree to this proposition. He made that factor quite clear."  
  
Ginny, who was supposed to be heading for one of the kitchen's multiple sinks stopped dead on her tracks, at the mention of that feared word.  
  
Fired?  
  
She can't be fired! What about her family? What about her dad who was now lying on his deathbed? What about her dear brother Ron, who was at present, blinded by that wicked curse that some Death Eater hurled at him? As much as she wanted to spew at Mary's face that she'd rather die a thousand times than serve that selfish cow, she couldn't, just because.this job was her family's life. Without her advance pay, they would be on the gutter now, begging for food and mercy.  
  
She couldn't risk it. She knew that and she also knew what she had to do. Even if the mere image of it that was burning through her mind was enough to send her insane.  
  
"Why?" she first asked. She may not have any choice, but she was not going to surrender without a reason.  
  
"I have no idea," Mary honestly answered.  
  
Ginny unconsciously sighed in exasperation.  
  
"But if you're really willing to find out why," Mary added, "then why don't you ask him yourself?"  
  
***  
  
"What the hell do you want from me, Malfoy?!" Ginny shouted, her voice blaring through the spacious room, the sound of hard wood connecting with cement was echoing almost infinitely throughout the vast luxurious bedroom.  
  
A bedroom that seemed to be unoccupied at the moment.  
  
Ginny cursed under her breath. Her master plan that mainly consisted of barging into Malfoy Junior's bedroom and demanding an answer with a preposterous feather duster under his throat was not working as she had planned. It was not working at all.  
  
Looking around and standing foolishly in the middle of her opponent's room, thinking of what she should do next, she involuntarily noticed how intricate and stunning Draco's room really was. Despite its astonishingly enormous space, there was *still* some sort of normality considering its ruthless and cold-blooded owner.  
  
A thick, dark Persian rug covered the hardwood floor, and a fire blazed in the marble fireplace, cackling gently and giving the large place a soothing quality even with its distant and unfeeling ambiance. The walls were wallpapered in dark green and silver, very much alike the ones that they had back then at Hogwarts. A huge crystal chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling, but even with the lit crystals high above the air, the room was still quite dark. All the light needed that was supposed to come in through the ceiling high windows on the room's East wall was obstructed by the thick curtains that blocked the admission of the warm light from the outside.  
  
There was a large table with silver cushioned chairs in the middle of the room, and up against the wall was a desk laden with personalized quill and parchment. From where she was standing, she suddenly noticed the closed double doors beside the monstrous mahogany wardrobe. It was after a few moments of looking around that she became aware of the uneasy trickling sound of water coming from that certain access.  
  
A second later, before she could even think of anything else, Draco, clothed only in an uncomfortably short towel wrapped around his waist. came out, visibly wet, with water dripping from his hair, obviously unaware of Ginny's unwelcome presence.  
  
Before Ginny could even register what was happening, Draco expectedly looked up and saw her horrified face.  
  
"What the f-" Draco yelped trying desperately to grab the towel that was hastily falling off his waist. Ginny on the other hand, let out a scream and quickly covered her eyes with both of her hands, trying hard not to run from horror right then and there out of the room.  
  
Ginny struggled real hard to not turn beet red from seeing Draco practically naked in front of her, trying to fight his way with the currently loosening and falling towel to save his dignity. For some reason, she was the one who was feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious from the mortifying incident, even though she wasn't the one who was on the verge of exposing her whole being.  
  
What was wrong with her?!  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" Draco snapped, firmly tightening the white cloth that was currently concealing all his magnificence.  
  
"I-"  
  
Ginny's eyes unconsciously traveled from his slender, almost angelic face to his lean muscular torso and lower extremities. He was no doubt handsome and could be very charming if he tried. She was pretty sure that--even though she did struggle so very hard to not accept that certain fact--if he was not that 'man' that he was now, with his infamous reputation of being the only son of a ruthless Death Eater, being a merciless and unfeeling wizard and if not for his repulsive attitude and impudent manners, Ginny could've actually fallen for him.  
  
"You barge in here, in my own room, without permission and practically saw me naked, and now you're telling me that you have no reason for this insolent offense?" Draco drawled. "I'm surprised Virginia. This is so unlike the firm and demanding girl that I once knew. At least I 'thought' I knew. You and I both know that we were really not *that* close at Hogwarts."  
  
"Why?" she answered firmly-at least she *hoped* it sounded firm-not really caring that it was a lousy comeback.  
  
"'Why' what?"  
  
"What is *this* all about?" Ginny asked gesturing incredulously.  
  
"What was 'what' all about?"  
  
"This!"  
  
"Eh.?" Draco goggled at her stupidly. "One of us is very confused," he said, "and I honestly don't know which."  
  
This was obviously going nowhere.  
  
"Look, I'm going to suggest that you get on with the point before Christmas because frankly, I'm beginning to get awfully cold here," Draco tactlessly inferred.  
  
"Okay, fine," she retorted. "Let me spell it out to you since all your working brain cells are probably trapped in that pathetic excuse for a head you have that is doubtless filled with overflowing smug gittyness. Why-"  
  
"I don't think 'gittyness' is a word."  
  
"I don't care."  
  
A beat passed and Draco looked at her expectantly.  
  
Ginny was caught off guard.  
  
"You made me lose my concentration!" she exclaimed in annoyance.  
  
"So now it's my fault?!" Draco asked in disbelief, actually looking quite amused by Ginny's deteriorating composure and failing comebacks.  
  
Ginny fumed in response.  
  
"So, you were saying?" he prodded.  
  
"Why did you assigned me to be your personal servant?" she finally asked. "Are you really trying to make my life here a living hell? Because I'm telling you right now, *it* already *is*."  
  
"Now that was touchy!" Draco sneered, still unaffected by Ginny's outburst. "May I suggest that you didn't take all of these too personally? The world doesn't revolve around you, you know?"  
  
"Then tell me what does this all mean?!" Ginny replied hotly.  
  
"It means what Mary said it means," Draco replied unperturbed, a contrary to what Ginny was suffering from. "You are going to be my own little puppy dog and obey my every little quirk and command, or else you will be fired."  
  
"I. Get. That." She scowled, trying real hard not to smack his aggravating face into a bloody pulp. "But you still haven't answered my question. Why?"  
  
"You'll find out soon enough," he vaguely answered.  
  
"NO!" Ginny reprehensibly shouted, finally making Draco show some emotion other than amusement and mockery. "I want to know now!"  
  
"I *said* you'll find out soon enough," Draco stubbornly retorted. "Now, I'm done with this 'barging-into-Draco's-bedroom-and-asking-the-crap-out-of- him-even-if-he-just-finished-taking-a-shower-and-is-half-naked-and-dripping- wet' nonsense. I am ordering you to go out of my room right now! You have no permission to be here in the first place."  
  
Ginny undoubtedly shouted another insult, and it was obvious that Draco also didn't back down. But what they didn't realized or even noticed was that the fine fabric fastened on Draco's waist--that was making all of these quite 'civilized'--was ever so slowly loosening.  
  
"Out!" Draco shouted, now enraged.  
  
"Not until you answer me!"  
  
And loosening.  
  
"Some other time, for Christ's sake!" Draco looked like he finally lost his temper. "I need to get dressed."  
  
"It wouldn't make a difference anyhow," Ginny snapped. "You would still look like the arrogant and egotistical pig that you are."  
  
"And now with the name-calling."  
  
"Can't handle the truth, can you?"  
  
"No, I just think that I'm beyond the mindless derision that you keep hurling at me!"  
  
"Oh, yeah? What about-"  
  
The sound of a falling towel finally caught their attention.  
  
"OH. MY-"  
  
"TURN AROUND!" Draco shrieked.  
  
And Ginny obediently did, consciously feeling her cheeks flush in mutual humiliation. But not before the stupid and untimely thought that she had never heard Draco, or any boy shriek, entered her mind. Ginny would've laughed if not for the absolute humiliation that she was feeling.  
  
A few seconds later, Draco spoke up, involuntarily panting.  
  
"Okay," he said, breathing quite heavily. "Well, that was unexpected."  
  
Ginny squeaked in response, slowly turning around.  
  
"Well, as long as we are on the topic, what did you think?" Draco asked.  
  
"What do I think about what?"  
  
"What you *saw*, stupid," he sneered. "Or do you want to see it again?"  
  
Ginny felt herself again blushing furiously.  
  
And for the first time since she had arrived as a maid here in Malfoy Manor, she hadn't got anything witty or even remotely intelligent to say.  
  
"I didn't see anything," she replied timidly, suddenly unable to look directly in his eyes.  
  
Draco annoyingly laughed.  
  
"It's your loss then."  
  
"I should go now," Ginny peeped further reddening.  
  
"Good idea."  
  
-  
  
***  
  
A/N: I'm supposed to upload this before the release of OotP, but I never had the chance. Just for the record, I'm continuing my original plan for this fic because I don't think any of it contradicts on what happened in OotP. Anyway, leave a review, please. It's the only antidote for my ever so slowly returning ailment mentioned above. 


	7. The Invitation

Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Chapter Seven: The Invitation  
  
A/N: The battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort might be a little confusing. Be patient, you will eventually know what happened. Oh, and thanks for all who reviewed! Sorry for taking so long to update, I've been awfully busy.  
  
*  
  
A thick yellowing parchment was clasped into the pale and slender hands of the woman sitting behind the obscuring view of the back of a blood-red leather bound chair perched beside the hazed towering window. She was bothered, yet still fairly interested on what the innocent piece of manuscript had stated. The correspondence was fabricated quite formally, with the elegant seal of the sender stamped unto one of the best well- designed parchment available, and even the stylish scrawls arranged by the lusciously thick ink was unmistakably the work of a top notch charmer. It was highly expected from the sender.  
  
It was an invitation concerning to the Grand Ball that was supposed to take place five days from now. The Ball was hosted by one of the most powerful pure-blooded families in the wizarding world, now ruled and controlled by wizards who were outmost loyal to the previously banished Lord Voldemort. Apparently, their only daughter was celebrating her 16th birthday.  
  
With Lucius Malfoy being the head of the now corrupted and unjust Ministry of Magic, the Malfoy family was practically required to attend. She placed the invitation on the delicately patterned table beside her and picked up another note, this one a little muddled and unkempt, obviously written in a hurry. It gave her the impression that the sender was not as conscious on the effect of the letter on the receiver than the previous correspondent did. She opened it and read the untidy scrawl, then frowned, thinking of the situation that this simple letter had created.  
  
There was a soft knock on the thick mahogany double door, an indication that her precious boy had finally arrived.  
  
"Hello, Mother," the familiar drawling voice said, followed by the rickety sound of a closing door. "Mary said you wanted to see me."  
  
Narcissa Malfoy turned her chair around and faced her son, looking very grim and vindictive as always. So it was true, her dear offspring had now turned into a young man. A fine one at that. Being a mother, Narcissa knew that she had quite a few failures and a fair number of errors in her parenting, having left Draco, as early as infancy to the care of Mary, and not maintain frequent communication with her only offspring, but even though she knew that he only thought of her as his 'mother', and not as somebody who actually upheld that prestigious title of a woman who was caring and affectionate, she knew that he still have some respect left to show her.  
  
"Yes, I did wanted to see you," Narcissa answered, placing the note together with the invitation and standing up, secretly measuring his son's height with hers and thinking that he was truly blessed when it comes to physical aspects, and how it would make almost everything that he wanted easier to get. "I believe that you heard about the upcoming Ball this Friday," said Narcissa, "Your father made it clearly imperative that your presence is required at the celebration, so I might suggest that you do not object this time to prevent further.complications. And just for your enlightenment, the invitation arrived earlier this morning."  
  
"So what's the problem with that?" asked Draco, who was evidently looking bored. Narcissa could see that he'd rather be somewhere else than to be stuck in this dark uncomfortable room with her, talking about tedious things like attending a birthday celebration of someone he hardly knew.  
  
"The problem, Draco," Narcissa stated, "is that I have just been alerted that your fiancée, who was supposed to be your partner to the ball, is currently incapable of accompanying you to the banquet."  
  
"What?" Draco exclaimed, suddenly snapping out of his dispassionate reverie. "You're already lucky that I've agreed to go to this insipid party, and now you're telling me that I have nobody to go with?"  
  
"May I remind you that it is your father is the one that inclined you and not me, so lower down your voice.or suffer awfully displeasing consequences," Narcissa warned. "It's not my fault that your fiancée suddenly developed an unknown skin disease, or so the letter says." She involuntarily scowled, indicating her extreme discontentment, while handing Draco the shabbily written letter.  
  
The further Draco read, the more pronounced his frown became. After a few more seconds, he released the parchment and let it drop into the floor, and said, "I don't believe this."  
  
"Neither do I. Your fiancée was never very talented in inventing excuses," Narcissa responded, letting a small grin materialize on her flawless face, reflecting on how delirious the excuse written on the letter was.  
  
"I'm not going to the ball then," Draco brusquely declared, beginning to turn around to leave the room altogether.  
  
"Your father won't be too pleased to find that out," Narcissa called out to the withdrawing Draco.  
  
"I don't care."  
  
"Tell me, Draco," Narcissa said in a flat impassive way, "do you actually care about her?"  
  
To her surprise, Draco stopped dead on his tracks. He turned around blanching a bit.  
  
"About who?" He asked. Narcissa could see that he was trying to sound as emotionless as possible, which was clearly not working.  
  
"Whom do you think?" she smirked in that famous Malfoy way that seemed to run in every member of the family. "Your fiancée of course! Or is there anyone else that we should be talking about?"  
  
"Of course not!" he exclaimed in response. "She's my fiancée! Of course I care for her! What kind of question is that?"  
  
"You don't have to be so defensive, I'm only asking after all. Probably because it seems to me that you're not even thinking of visiting her 'unwell' self," Narcissa clarified, looking knowingly at her son. "If you really are concerned about her, I expect you to be hurrying to be at her side, Apparating to her room trying to find out if the case stated on the letter was really true, and attempting to make her feel better if it was in fact accurate. Surprisingly, as a person this closely related to her, I see none of that reactions from you."  
  
"Well, Mother, I feel that you don't know her that well," Draco replied, walking further within the spacious area. "Identifying her as I do, I highly doubt that she is in mortal danger. She is probably doing her *nails* right at this very moment. And if, *if* it really was authentic, I'm pretty sure that a hoard of mediwizards would readily be at her perfectly manicured feet, struggling to cure whatever terminal disease she has. Hence, I think that dashing towards the 'sick' lady is going to be incredibly pointless."  
  
"Do you love her, Draco?" she suddenly asked, making Draco look up in surprise and in obvious lack of response.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"What do you think it means?" Narcissa replied, again having that all- knowing look on her face. "The question's quite clear. All I'm asking is do you love her, or is that a matter already to complicated for you to react to?"  
  
"Malfoy's don't love, Mother," Draco replied solemnly, looking very thoughtful even in his standards. "You ought to know that the most."  
  
A deep pensive silence followed, as if both were thinking the exact same thing but with different reactions to it.  
  
"Oh, no, that's where you're wrong, Draco," Narcissa replied, quite a bit slighted at what her son had presumed. "We love quite well.if not wisely."  
  
Snapping out of a detached trance and catching herself just in time before she says anything else, Narcissa swiftly bid her goodbye and promptly strode out of the room, leaving a confused Draco behind, their discussion ending quite the contrary of the expected outcome.  
  
*  
  
"What do you mean she can't come?" said Draco who was currently pacing at the front of the radiating fireplace, fuming very much like the searing flame in front of him, because behind the glowing exterior of the blaze, there was the foolishly floating head of a ridiculously ugly house elf whose presently exasperating Draco greatly. "I want to see her now!"  
  
"Benny told you already, Master Draco," squeaked the house-elf, his grotesque features noticeably quaking with desperately concealed terror. "The Mistress don't want to be bothered at the moment, sir. She is quite incapable of presenting herself while looking relatively.under the weather, sir." He finished lamely.  
  
"'Under the weather?'" said Draco unbelievably, finally stopping in front of the stupidly bobbing head in his bedroom's fireplace. Compared to a regular house-elf, this one was fortunately better in speaking proper English and probably smarter, but despite that providential quality, Draco was still deeply pissed off. "You're kidding me, right? You certainly don't expect me to believe that lame remark to regard as a legitimate excuse to look absolutely injudicious, presenting myself as Draco Malfoy, one of the most sought-after bachelor in the whole wizarding world entirely partner-less at the ball!"  
  
"Yes, dear master," said the house-elf, "it would be very ironic if things would turn out that tragic way." The comment was almost sarcastic to Draco's ear but he let it slip. The fact that it was the first time that he heard a house-elf being sarcastic was surprisingly enough to throw him off guard. But he still knew that if he *did* lose his temper; things would get pretty.messy around the place. Another life lost because of an utterly senseless cause. 'That' would be pretty tragic.  
  
"Where is she? Why couldn't I get into her room?" he asked once again. "Why are there forces keeping me from apparating into the mansion's grounds? What the hell is happening in there? I command you to answer me Benny!"  
  
"Master Draco," answered the house-elf, obviously gaining some notable confidence. "*If* there is something going on, Benny completely doubts that he is going to be the one who will be appointed to tell the young master. Benny is afraid that he can help no further, and Benny wishes that the young master would let Benny go now, because Benny is sure that there's nothing more that he can do to assist the young master."  
  
Draco tried intensely to control his emotions. He knew that letting off all his pent up feelings to his fiancée's personal house-elf was going to be completely useless, not to mention exceptionally stupid. Another thing was, considering the slender.disgrace that he just encountered earlier this morning; he was definitely not too keen to blurt it out to a babbling house- elf. So instead, he took a deep, moderately calming breath, and let the house-elf go back to his daily duties.  
  
Benny vanished from the flames, leaving alone the distinctive dancing of the radiant fire.  
  
'First, a raging red-head, next, an inconsiderable amount of masculine dishonor, after that, an infuriating news, then, a sarcastic house-elf. How I fear to think of what's going to happen next.' Draco furiously contemplated, dropping on his bed; his arms laid out like a fleeting eagle.  
  
This might be just a simple dilemma for many, but Draco knew better than to see things the way common wizards do. It might not be that obvious, but to the Malfoy Family, as the current head of the whole wizarding world, appearance was everything, but if their good reputation among the sinister masters of the council will be tainted with even an infinitesimal stain of dishonor, everything that his Father worked for, and everything that they have would evidently mean nothing. It seemed quite ironic that the most powerful family actually had something to fear amongst the empire they rule, but the truth was far more frightening than what normal commoners see. Because what they didn't know was that, the Ministry that they were controlled upon was also destroying each other. Hidden behind that expensive robes and that convincing smiles of the corrupt lower officials was an intensely concealed longing to be on the top, and the only way to be the highest and the most powerful was destroying whoever was currently seated on the throne. Whether taken literally or emotionally, it was still severely treacherous to whoever was in there, and that meant his father.  
  
Heartless and brutally strict his father might be, Draco was still grateful for him because if not for his endless pursuit to gain power, they wouldn't be in the place they were at the moment. And evil as though his father might seem, he was still not a replacement to Voldemort, so that might mean that he still have the power to love, it was just not being used.  
  
There was a knock on his thick solid-wood bedroom door and Draco was snapped out of his reverie. Impulsive annoyance barraged him instinctively, but nowadays, he noticed that he could control his spontaneous emotions better and when he decided that there was nothing worthy of his irritation, his intuitive aggravation disappeared almost in an instant.  
  
But a morsel of his laziness remained and he reluctantly opened his locked bedroom door.and almost gasped in surprise.and awe.  
  
The 'red-head' that he had been so maddened to just a few hours earlier was standing right in front of him, her long crimson hair falling elegantly past through her shoulders. The unusual thing was, she was not wearing the usual Malfoy Maid's Uniform but was wearing fairly.tight muggle clothes. She was obviously going somewhere. Or at least 'planning' to go somewhere since maids couldn't exit the Malfoy Grounds unless they have the permission to do so.  
  
Draco almost became speechless but then rapidly caught himself, thinking that he saw more beautiful women knock on his bedroom door, and sometimes even wearing tighter clothes and in not so rare cases, no clothes at all. Thinking that, he then again caught himself, apparently disgusted that he even associated a 'Weasley' with the term 'beautiful'. Of *course* he didn't think she was beautiful or even merely pretty! What was he, insane?  
  
"What do you want?" he roughly asked, trying hard not to think of what had happened on their last meeting.  
  
Ginny was fondling with his nails and was looking all over the place, seemingly at lost on where she should stare on. When she looked like she finally settled on staring at *his* shoes, her gaze accidentally traveled a couple of inch or so upward, causing her to blush furiously.  
  
Draco would normally find this act extremely funny, but when he identified what she was blushing for, all the absurdity disappeared like vapor. Because even though he might act like the previous 'accident' doesn't matter to him, truth be told was that, he was tremendously mortified at what happened. It was so unexpected that he went for his automatic defense mechanism in which he was to turn the tables upside down and transfer the embarrassment to whoever was appropriate. But that moment of reverse method only last for the short period of time, not really preventing him from thinking over and over again what really took place and how she could use that.information against him.  
  
"I know you Weasleys aren't such a bright lot, but I would've expected you to understand such a simple question," he drawled, enjoying every moment of regularity.  
  
"I asked Mary for a day-off so I could visit my mother and Ron, but she sent me up here saying that you're the one that I'm supposed to be asking, so." Ginny paused uncertainly, now very transfixed at her nails.  
  
Draco was rather taken aback.  
  
What happened to the fiery and forceful servant that this feeble little maid once was? Where had the snappy lines and witty comebacks gone? Because in complete honesty, that was why he hired her to be his personal maid in the first place. As bizarre at it may seem, he needed somebody to fight with every now and then. He had lived in a world where the previous house- elf bowed at his feet and his every whims and commands where granted without question or protest no matter how difficult or stupid the order was. And he was sick of all that. He had never met anybody who dared to answer him back since the time when they became the most powerful family in the whole wizarding community, and that was the one simple fact that made her different and more interesting than the other maids serving this Manor.  
  
But as intense as his deeply concealed admiration was, he was still a Malfoy and that meant being as insensitive and cruel as you can possibly be, and not show any real emotion, so he just shrugged and drawled a reply.  
  
"No, I'm afraid you can't," said Draco, preparing to close the door. "If that's all, I suggest that you change back into your uniform and not bother me further. I'll call you if I need anything."  
  
And with a sarcastic smirk from Draco and through one of the most passionate stare of loathing and disgust that Ginny could manage, there was again those thick wooden double-doors separating them.  
  
*  
  
-  
  
A/N: I'm trying to write as fast as I could but the problem is, I could only write on weekends since I'm awfully busy during the weekdays. I hope that you don't mind my twice a month uploading. I promise to write more quickly and upload more frequently. Be quite patient in knowing who Draco's fiancée is, she will eventually have starring roles in the future chapters. Oh, and please review; it adds more enthusiasm and motivates me to write better and more rapidly. (",) 


	8. Process of Elimination

Title: Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Author: Fallen_Althea (my new name because apparently, they have two Altheas in FF.net)  
  
Genre: Romance  
  
Summary: (I think the title's self explanatory)  
  
Author's Notes: Ah! Finally, after three long months of being AWOL from the fanfiction world, I'm back! I know this sounds lame but I've been really busy, being hospitalized and losing my spot on the honor roll. I am now working twice as hard to get back in it so please bear with me. Thanks for all who had patiently (or impatiently) waited for this chapter to come out. I know this isn't much after three long months but more will come in the following days. I promise.  
  
-----  
  
Chapter Eight:  
  
Process of Elimination  
  
----  
  
That miserable bastard! Ginny fumed storming through the carpeted corridor of the master's quarters. Yes, he has the power to embarrass me and treat me like dirt but he has no right to keep me away from my family!  
  
She had received earlier an owl and a note from her mother telling her that Arthur had a minor relapse. It was nothing serious but it could only mean that his body was rapidly deteriorating and his time here on the mortal realm was slowly decreasing. Ginny wanted to see her father because if that inevitable time comes a little sooner than they expected, she would never forgive herself if she wasn't there beside her father in his last moment of living. If that happens given her situation, she would never forgive Draco for not letting her spend her time with her weakening family. Her life.  
  
And there she was thinking, just before the refusal of her request, how Draco was just an innocent boy deep inside that hard façade when she saw a second of softness in his eyes earlier that morning. How can she be so stupid to even start to think that one of the Malfoys have a heart and sensitivity to share?  
  
*  
  
He knew that he was a little hard on Ginny but he didn't care. He wasn't the type to feel bad about minor mistakes and broken hearts. It was just a waste of time after all to lament about the past that nobody could change. Draco was raised to not feel and to not show any sympathy nor affection unless he was told to do so, and it was hard to change an upbringing like that.  
  
The young master paced around his spacious room, still thinking about his plans for the social bore-fest that the rich and powerful identified as a grand ball. If he didn't go, he would never hear the end of his father's lecture about social etiquettes and governmental protocols. If he did go without a partner, his image would be no doubt ruined and there would be an endless barrage from the papers about cancelled engagement and lover's quarrel that never even happened. And knowing his spoiled fiancée, she would never change her mind about a thing that she had already decided upon. He couldn't even talk to her in person much less make her attend to a ball she would no doubt be bored stiff in.  
  
Every way he thought of seemed to be a dead end.  
  
Unless he could make somebody come with him to the party and be his partner. On the subject of his social standing and physical features, there was no doubt that he could make every girl that he ask swoon at his feet and readily accept, but the question is who. Who would be the girl lucky enough to be invited by him, the same one who would be unfortunate enough to suffer his fiancée's wrath once she found out that he went with another woman to a media covered banquet.  
  
He knew one thing though. His vain friends and self-filled ex-girlfriends were definitely out of the picture. Most of them stopped talking to him the moment his father robbed their families of their wealth and stripped them their respectable social status. The rest of the numerous girls he once dated finally gave up dragging him back into their arms when they found out that he was already engaged to a woman they dubbed as the 'ice queen'.  
  
So, who else would be credible enough to be with him just for a night?  
  
And then, after a minute or so of contemplating, a not so brilliant plan erupted from his exhausted brain.  
  
The maids.  
  
Truth be told there were at least some of them physically qualified to stand by him side by side without looking like.well, a pitiable servant. A chosen few could pass up for a lovely maiden from out of town visiting the British wizarding community and Draco could pose as the humble gentleman showing her the exquisite sights of his kingdom. The guests at the banquet would never see them again anyway, so it could be a foolproof plan.  
  
The more he thought about it, the cleverer the idea seemed.  
  
But then, who among those chosen few could carry a conversation with the educated and privileged members of society? Who among them have the wit to actually impress those conceited people and not look like a complete moron?  
  
The needed credentials narrowed the search down to hardly any but there were still a very few people remaining.  
  
There was Emma, sweet-faced and gentle, but then she would probably drop dead in shock before he even blurt out the words 'will you go to the ball with me?'. There was also Danielle Jacobs, his father's personal servant, gorgeous and intelligent, but then Draco had a very unpleasant feeling that she was having an affair with his father so going out with her would just complicate things even further. Natalie, the aggravated kitchen maid could be a candidate with her sharp beauty and intellectual attitude - she was a Ravenclaw after all - but she would probably agree out of fear of being unemployed and would almost certainly shoot daggers at him with her eyes all through out the festivity and would be a liability instead of an asset.  
  
And all that process of elimination left him one more person to consider.  
  
Draco Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks, appalled on what he was actually thinking. Horrified on who he was actually considering to be his partner to the God-forsaken ball.  
  
This is not happening, he thought, feeling as though he had broken a vital rule in the Malfoy Family Code. But the fact that he had already deliberated on it and actually reflected for a split second there without actually thinking that she could be the one, was enough to send shivers through his skin and realize what was really happening to him.  
  
But it was impossible! It was unacceptable for a Malfoy to. He would never in a million years.  
  
Draco collapsed on his bed confused and actually in the verge of laughing at this ironic fate that life had brought him. Turned out, he had no choice. Ginny Weasley was the most capable of socializing to the elite and famous probably because of her wit and modest background, and being a Malfoy, he would never settle for the second best. He sat up and reached for the invitation that was sitting on his bedside table. He reread it again and noticed the small note at the bottom right side of the parchment. His face lit up with a shrewd smile.  
  
So it was a masked costume ball.  
  
Perfect! Now the only thing that the guests will see was that he was with a beautiful maiden with red gorgeous locks enjoying the night away.  
  
But how will he convince her to actually say yes to his proposal when he just turned down her simple request?  
  
He thought for a moment and decided that it won't be a problem.  
  
After all, there was nothing in this world that he cannot obtain.  
  
*  
  
A/N:  
  
I know, I know, it's too short! Actually, this is just excess from Chapter Six of GW: MiMM in Fictionalley.org. If you want to read this fic with a better format and with the chapterization (I don't think that's a word) that I really intended for this fic then go there and look for the name angel althea. Problem is, I upload here more often but save up my short chapters before uploading it on FA.org to create a longer one so the version of this fic here has longer chapters but with the same content still with my version in FA.  
  
I hope you understand my explanation; I'm getting confused myself! Anyway, as I have said, I'm back and will definitely upload chapters more frequently this time.  
  
-Thea 


	9. Cinderella

Title: Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Disclaimer: All characters are from JKR, I'm just here to live up my fantasies with these wonderful characters.  
  
Pairing: d/g  
  
Spoilers: Books 1-5  
  
A/N: 'Njoy!  
  
-  
  
Chapter Nine:  
  
Cinderella  
  
-  
  
"Good thing you decided to come back," Natalie snapped, roughly slamming the metal pan on the sink as she wash off the soap clinging from it. "Mary asked you to pick vegetables from the garden, not to take a forty-five minute stroll down the fields. I was ready to believe that you gave up and escaped back to the tiny little hole that you have the guts to call home."  
  
"Sorry," Ginny reasoned. "I got lost." She put the basket with the various vegetables she had collected on the wooden table and started to segregate it according to type, trying to control the innermost annoyance that was starting to bubble up inside her. She could take the nasty remark but not coming from a person who had no right to give it.  
  
She had spent the entire morning in the gardens, not rushing to finish her command of picking different kinds of vegetables in the garden. The garden was beautiful, complete with a fountain right in the middle. It looked quite impressive considering the owner of the said backyard. Who would've thought that the Malfoys could have such an exquisite place inside their feared manor? Surrounded by lush green grass, vegetable leaves and roots and swimming in an air of gentle sweet fragrance, she let out all her pent up anger and disappointment of not being permitted yesterday to visit her broken family. Broken in a sense that deceit and unfaithfulness was not the issue but concerning the loss of missed loved ones and the plague of deadly ailments and handicaps. She could tell that she too was getting weaker and weaker in longing to see her family and her spirit was slowly deteriorating from the lack of renewing energy that her siblings used to give her.  
  
Those were the days. The days when Harry Potter was still alive, everyone was happy and the wizarding community still lived in perfect harmony with each other even if aware of the growing threat of evil in their perfectly peaceful lives. Who would've expected it to end in such a short span of time?  
  
"Fine, lucky for you Virgin Mary is busy talking to the exterminators or else you'd have had your first session of an ear-splitting sermon," Natalie replied, putting the pans on the drying rack, oblivious of the internal struggle that Ginny was experiencing at the moment. "Speaking of which, she asked the two of us to carry up the damaged kitchen stoves from the dungeons to the back garden."  
  
"Dungeons?" she asked, snapping out of her painful reverie.  
  
"From the dungeons, yes. You know where the dungeon is, do you? You know the floor, just above hell," Natalie mockingly answered. "Mary said that some men are going to pick those up later this afternoon."  
  
"Oh,"  
  
"Yeah, I could swear we're having more responsibilities by the second!" Natalie exclaimed, throwing up her dripping hands in exasperation. "Next thing we know, we'll be cleaning up the decaying bones from the prison cells."  
  
Ginny tried real hard to not show her utter disgust regarding the said matter but from the look that Natalie was giving her, she knew that she had already shown her repulsion.  
  
Natalie looked at her knowingly and said, "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."  
  
"Gee, I hope so," she answered back in the verge of sarcasm. Never did she want to get used to the inhumane and grotesque customs that the evil Malfoy family were so fond of because getting used to it meant understanding those practices, and their way of living was beyond the limits of consideration.  
  
"But really, come to think of it, we're not the ones who are supposed to do all these stuff!" Natalie once again exclaimed. "Frankly, just in my opinion, I think that the Malfoys are having some trouble with their staff."  
  
Ginny eyed at her curiously trying not to appear too interested.  
  
"What made you say that?"  
  
"Well, let's just say that when the houses of two of the most powerful and cruel wizards there is in our world unite, there is going to be a lot of changes brought around this place. I heard some upstairs maids talking about it a while back and they're saying that, just to cut the story short, no one in their right mind would want to stick around when the queen of the house moves in."  
  
"Who is she to be so darn frightening?" Ginny gasped, quite taken aback by the descriptions that Natalie threw at her about the dreaded and unknown fiancée.  
  
"I have only served her once at a tea party and let's just say that if you think things are horrible enough around here, believe me when I say you've seen nothing yet."  
  
~*~  
  
Draco was worried.  
  
Very worried indeed.  
  
The costume ball was going to be held tomorrow evening already and he still had to find a companion to that tedious social gathering.  
  
If his plan didn't work, he was doomed.  
  
Yes, he knew that he could carry it off with his overflowing self- confidence, reputation and manufactured words of praise directed at himself but it still would not be the same. His so-called friends would all be there obviously thinking on how conceited and arrogant he was and would spend the entire evening looking at him in envy and hatred, fake smiles of judgment pasted at their malicious lips. Draco entering the labeled celebration all by himself was not actually social suicide but it would mean a wasted night spent wandering and conversing mechanically with people who he knew hated him with all their guts and were only showing him fake beams of approval just because of the name that his father had built over the damned years.  
  
A partner would really make all the difference, but the hard part of it was not the selection process, he had already done that and it gave him a headache. Instead, the agonizing part of it was the part where from the moment his hormones kicked in was never his problem at all.  
  
And still, up until now, he could not fathom why he was fussing over such a stupid futile thing. He had invited girls to go out with him millions of times and it was always the same response that he got. Always the same yes, always the same blushing cheeks and always the same look of outmost pride and flattery that he was actually tired of it all. Yearning for something different, longing for a new challenge, he actually got his wish.  
  
So much for being careful about what you wish for.  
  
But of course it was not a matter if she will agree or not. Of course she will! By free preference or by forced inclination she will be his date for the ball for the reason that she mainly had no choice.  
  
Okay, fine. So let the games begin.  
  
Draco summoned Ginny by talking to Mary first since he knew without a doubt that she would not come unless forced by Mary in terms that she would lose her job. Hopeless she was! Draco simply thought, wondering on when will this game end. It was going nowhere anyway so might as well teach Ginny a lesson in obedience as soon as she step inside Draco's territory.  
  
A few minutes had elapsed and just as when Draco was getting quite impatient, Ginny knocked on the thick double doors, obviously hesitating for a second, thinking of what were the chances of getting away with it if she just kick the door open and march inside like how she wanted to. But of course, proper etiquette obviously got the better of her. Draco gave her the permission to enter, at the same time pondering on how to actually get the conversation about the dreaded subject going without actually sounding desperate. After all, desperation was not permitted for the Malfoys to show.  
  
Not that he was desperate to start with.  
  
He was not.  
  
Right?  
  
"So we meet again," Draco drawled, making sure that he kept his usual condescending tone. He was already eyeing Ginny from head to toe, picturing in his mind what she would look like in the dress that she would be wearing to the ball.  
  
Oh, God. Was he getting too emotionally attached? After all, this was supposed to be just a professional thing that he had to do for the sake of the presentation his social stability.  
  
But whatever the matter was, hopeless, desperate or even routine, one thing was sure.  
  
There was no backing out now.  
  
~*~  
  
Ginny walked inside, very much aware on how inferior she felt standing in the middle of Draco's enormous room looking like a prostitute waiting to be touched in her standard uniform. She should've known that when Mary interrupted her mopping just a few minutes ago, it would mean another trip to the devil's lair.  
  
Exactly just what I needed, Ginny sarcastically thought.  
  
"So we meet again," Draco drawled quite unnecessarily at her. For a moment there she mused if this were going to be another humiliating waste of time for her and an amusing pastime for Draco.  
  
More or less, she was probably right.  
  
"You called me up. I had no choice," she said, more than a hint of distaste escaping her frowned mouth.  
  
"Oh, did I?"  
  
"Are you playing mind games with me again, Malfoy? Because I swear to God I have no time nor energy for all this," she exclaimed, deciding that if this were going to be another episode of the battle of the wits where Ginny will obviously lose and be utterly disgraced, she would try to get out of this as soon as she can.  
  
"Stingy are we?" Draco once again drawled, watching the red-haired maid with concealed amusement. "Well, for your information, I do have a reason for calling you up and it is not just because I wanted to annoy you to death, even though that's still a minor part of it, but it is about a rather important matter if you must know."  
  
"I think we both know that I could only care less," Ginny retorted.  
  
"You know, you should really watch the things coming out of your mouth," Draco said, eyeing Ginny with mock irritation. "I normally would never let anyone, and I mean anyone talk to me like that. Now given our history in Hogwarts, whatever history that could be, I consider you a special case to be treated. But then, you take advantage of my very limited mercy. Still, you should mind your language because I tell you; you are skating on very thin ice here. Your job is actually dangling from my already constricted sympathy, if you know what I'm talking about."  
  
Ginny just stupidly stared for a minute then but even without trying to think of a witty remark to throw back at him, she found out that when it comes to battling Draco Malfoy, the king of sarcasm and insults, her obscured talent in such matters naturally comes forth.  
  
"Even though I know that you think I should comment on your obtuse use of metaphors on that specially moving speech you just gave me, I think I would still say whatever I want to say just for the purpose of keeping my sanity in this godforsaken place," Ginny replied, actually relieved to be doing something aside from standing foolishly in the middle of Draco's grand room. At least insulting Draco as much as she liked was keeping her thoughts occupied until the real reason of her calling was revealed. Skating on very thin ice or not, she knew that if she just follow Draco's every whim like a despondent puppy without even muttering just a simple pea- brained insult was going to drive her crazy.  
  
She'll take her chances.  
  
"Really?" Draco answered, quite enjoying the battle of the wits they were unconsciously playing. "You don't care about your job at all nor your very life?"  
  
Ginny unintentionally blanched at the thought. It had never occurred to her that she could actually be punished with death by just insulting the renowned Draco Malfoy, son of the most powerful wizard there was. Actually, it had never occurred to her that he could actually do such a thing. Because even though she knew undeniably that he had the power to do anything that he wanted with just a flick of a finger, it had never came to mind that he could do it to her.  
  
But then of course he could! Who was she kidding?  
  
As the thought dawned on her, the outmost reality that she was just a maid in this gigantic mansion of the most powerful wizard in the world was as bright as ever. This was definitely not Hogwarts where, even though Draco was a year older than she was, they both have the same rights and that the same rules apply to both of them. How stupid of her to hold on to the delusion that this alternate universe where the great Harry Potter was defeated and that evil won would just evaporate in a second when she decided to wake up from this awful nightmare. But this is no nightmare, but far much worse than she could have expected.  
  
Suddenly, she felt with full force how a life without Harry was really much harder than she had anticipated.  
  
"Let's just get to the point," Ginny surrendered, her slender shoulders sagging a bit, an indication on how tired and worn-out she was about all these horrible things that just keeps happening to her. How exhausted she was about the physical demands of her work, added to that the mental and emotional toll of the various degrading confrontations of her and Draco and for just being in this alienating place away from all of her loved ones.  
  
She was done with playing mindless games and going around in circles. She just want to finish her work, go to bed and sulk until the morning comes.  
  
"I'm done with this," she added with a distressing sigh. "Just tell me what you want and I'll get it. No more games, no more nothing. I'm sick of all these."  
  
"Fine then, Weasley," he answered, softly this time hinting that he understood and was willing to cooperate and turn their meeting into a serious one for a change. "You asked for it."  
  
A thick silence followed and Ginny wondered what kind of thing he was asking her to do for him to actually take his time in saying it.  
  
"I want you to be my partner to the ball tomorrow night. That's it go on, you're dismissed, finish your chores," Draco said that all in such unbelievable speed that it took Ginny at least five seconds to actually grasp what he was trying to say.  
  
And one word instinctively came to Ginny's mind actually expressing all that she had to say.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
Draco gave her a look of disbelief saying, "Look, I'm not that surprised to find out that you Weasley clan are a bit inadequate regarding your mental superiority but I never thought that hearing disablement is also a matter that I should be informed about."  
  
Ginny just stared in incredulity how Draco could insult her and her family right after asking her to be his partner to a ball.  
  
This must be a dream.  
  
"I'm asking you to spend tomorrow night with me at a Costume Ball, talking to strangers you will never see the face of and smiling mechanically at everyone you meet," Draco sneered, looking quite a lunatic from changing his expression to one of complete annoyance to a look that could resemble a dog eyeing his yearned for bone.  
  
Just goes to show how psychologically distressing it was to live in the dark surrounded by mothballs and gruesome pictures of one's own frightening ancestors.  
  
Draco glared at her in utter impatience masking the uncertainty that Ginny saw a second before in his eyes.  
  
"So, are you going to answer or not?"  
  
This was insane! Was he actually serious considering her to be his partner to a social banquet?  
  
But certainly, she was not going to let him off the hook so easily. Why would she want to be with him all night even if it was going to be a formal get together?  
  
"Go sit on a pencil and rotate," Ginny replied trying to sound as unaffected as possible.  
  
With the expression that Ginny could read from Draco, she knew that she had failed miserably.  
  
"You really want to do this the hard way, do you?" he actually smiled; making Ginny shiver from the routine things that she was waiting to hear.  
  
Oh, what was the point?  
  
Of course she was going to be threatened with losing her job or even her own life if that was possible. Why did she even try to fight back when she knew that there was no choice? But then, why did he even bother asking if he knew that he will have his way in the end of it all whether she liked it or not? Why go through the hassle?  
  
Ginny was starting to get a headache.  
  
This is great, just great. Ginny thought. I knew something bad was going to happen today. I just knew it.  
  
"What made you think that I'm going to be an acceptable companion for the evening?" Ginny asked, convinced that she had to find out as much information as she can about this hilarious and senseless invitation. "What made you so sure that I'm not going to run out of the room the moment you let me out of your sight?"  
  
"I'm not going to let you out of my sight, you can trust me on that," Draco answered, a somehow unusual tone coming out of his carefully chosen words. It was as if he was actually serious about what he said and not just for the purpose of showing his superiority in the situation.  
  
Ginny softened a bit, seeing that they were actually having a sincere conversation probably for the first time since she stepped inside this hellhole called Malfoy Manor. She was going to reluctantly agree already even though her quest for more knowledge about the gathering was answered by a vague response, but then she remembered to take her chances and offer some parameters in the so-called ball, thrown to that a few requirements if she could manage it.  
  
"Fine, I will go, but in one condition," Ginny said, trying to look as irresistible as possible. She noted the quick change of expression in Draco's pale face from delight and relief to apprehensiveness and suspicion. This brought a surge of pride in Ginny knowing that for just once, she was the one holding the cards.  
  
"What do you want?" he sighed, actually willing to consider what she was going to say.  
  
Ginny almost smiled in glee.  
  
"After tomorrow night, you will let me visit my parents for a whole day without any restrictions and allow me bring them food, medicine and other essential things from the manor," she said, making sure that it was clearly understood that these things were imperative for her to actually agree in his proposition.  
  
Draco seemed to weigh his options then after a moment of tense consideration; he looked like he finally made his decision.  
  
"All right, you got your wish, but you will also have to compromise with my demands," he said, looking wistfully at his own ceiling.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Not much, really," he replied, locking eyes with her. "You just have to talk, act, move the way I command you to. You have to wear what I want you to wear, say what I want you to say, when I want you to say it and in what manner. You will be posing as a maiden from out of town and I, being the earnest gentleman that I am is just there showing you the way things work in wizarding London. The party is a masked costume ball so it is crucial that you keep your mask on."  
  
He paused, thinking if he forgot something.  
  
"That's about it," he said, a smug grin already painted in his lips. "Deal?"  
  
Ginny considered the said provisions and after a few seconds, the two finally had their first mutual agreement in the said matter.  
  
"Deal," Ginny answered, trying hard not to worry about what kind of trouble she had just put herself into.  
  
~*~  
  
The rest of the day was spent with Ginny waiting for the seamstress in some room on the second floor. Waiting for her to show up with the gown that Ginny would be wearing tomorrow night. Sitting on the quite comfortable couch that was pushed against the far corner of the place making room for the elevated spot right in the middle facing a gigantic mirror, Ginny couldn't help visualizing the things that might happen on the celebration. She imagined herself getting recognized by a long time schoolmate when she stupidly forgot to keep her mask on and making a fool of herself in front of the most powerful wizards in their community. She was about to chicken out when she thought about her family and how doing this dreaded thing would give her the chance to see them and bring them what they truly needed. Thinking about her mom and dad, and her hurting brother Ron gave her the strength to stand tall and do what she had to do. That was what her life was nowadays, revolving around her family and making sure that they live and never lose hope.  
  
A plump middle-aged woman with brown hair entered, her arms holding a single velvet red dress in her arms. Ginny stood up in respect quite surprised at the lack of different colored fabrics the woman should be holding. She had expected a laborious session in that room in which she was supposed to try on about a hundred of distinctively styled gowns before they finally agreed on one worthy for her to wear.  
  
"Try this on," the woman simply said, handing her the dress wrapped in plastic covering for protection. Ginny had no idea where the dress was from but did not say anything since her female companion did not look like the type to appreciate overly inquisitive maids.  
  
Ginny looked around, trying to figure out where to actually change but then one look at the possible seamstress, she knew that she was supposed to try the gown right then and there and the lady was suppose to help her. Self consciously, she tried on the dress and was actually relieved that she did not have to do it by herself after finding out that it consisted of highly complicated and confusing buttons and strings that she would probably spend a minute trying to figure out where to enter her right arm.  
  
After quite a few minutes of doing adjustments and finishing touches, the lady asked her to turn around and face the mirror. Nervously, thinking that she looked like crap, she turned. and saw a completely different person than the girl that she was used seeing in the mirror.  
  
She looked gorgeous.  
  
She looked sophisticated, elegant and demure all at the same time, as if she was not aware on how delicately beautiful she was. Never in Ginny's life did she think that she could look like a goddess. Ginny ran her hands on the material and felt the softness of the fabric. The dress fitted her perfectly, working with her womanly curves like it was originally made just for her. Just when Ginny was starting to wonder if the dress itself was charmed to fit her like that, there was a knock on the door, separating her from her fascinated trance.  
  
The seamstress opened the door an inch and murmured something that Ginny could not hear. The door opened a little wider and in came Draco, looking proud about something. He was still talking to the woman but then he suddenly turned to where Ginny was standing and stopped speaking in mid- sentence.  
  
He gazed at Ginny as if it was the first time that he had seen her. Time stood still as he seemed to take in her image making Ginny quite uncomfortable about the unrestricted attention. What was he thinking? Ginny thought, self-consciously standing in the middle in front of the mirror. Did he think she was pretty? Mouth still open, he took a deep breath, then as if snapping out of a spell, he turned to the seamstress who was still standing beside him and mumbled something. Ginny heard it as "It will do," He then turned and practically fled out of the room but not before Ginny caught sight of Draco's ears which was turning quite pink.  
  
Was he blushing?  
  
Ginny erased the thought thinking that he might be cold from the temperature in the room.  
  
Yes, that might be it.  
  
~*~ 


	10. Masked

Title: Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Author: Althea  
  
Pairings: d/g (obviously ( )  
  
Spoilers: SS-OotP  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: Would you look at that? I only own the plot. Yay...! There are also various Buffy the Vampire Slayer quotes throughout the chapter so I pay tribute to whoever the heck wrote those lines.  
  
A/N: This is not an abandoned fic! I'm just a very slow writer that's all. Anyways, I have more time now because it's vacation season here and all and you can expect frequent updating from now on, maybe 2-3 chapters per month depending on my mood and perseverance. (heh...) Keep on reading and thanks to all who reviewed! R&R!  
  
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Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor  
  
Chapter 10: Masked  
  
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Ginny walked up the stairs leading to her room that she shared with the other maids ironically exhausted and in need of some private time to think about the sheer stupidity of the actions that she had just committed. Yes, the deal was pretty good considering that she actually convinced Draco to let her visit her family but still...she was going to be Draco's partner to a ball! Somehow, she still could not fully understand that sentence, what it literally meant and what it could really do to her useless existence.  
  
She actually thought about Ron at that time and what his reaction will be if he had known what she was about to do. Ginny bet that he would be really pissed off and will be shouting curses at the Malfoy clan just because his sister was going to be in arm's length with the cruelest git in the wizarding world. Ginny sighed at the thought. If only he knew that she was actually Draco's personal assistant. That would definitely put him in a near heart-attack condition.  
  
Her long day consisted of dress rehearsals and learning the proper way of greeting vain people that she would no doubt meet. After that, the seamstress, whom she learned was named Beth and was surprisingly also a classic dance instructor, taught Ginny the basic steps that she would be executing at the ball. The steps were easy enough but what was weighing on her mind at the time were not the intricate movements of the dance but her will-be dance partner.  
  
She just cannot stop replacing Beth's face with Draco's exquisite features at the rehearsals!  
  
What was wrong with her?!  
  
Going back to her room, she expected to find her roommates fast asleep after the day's hard work and the idea pleased her because that meant finally having time to be peacefully at rest without facing the inquiring eyes of her fellow maids obviously curious on why she disappeared mid-day and did not return to work that evening. But instead of finding them peacefully in slumber, her heart sank when she opened the door of their quarters and found out that Vanessa and Emma were still enthusiastically awake oddly talking about the one of the delivery guys who picked up the ovens that morning. Ginny cringed when she remembered that she was supposed to help Natalie with the ovens.  
  
She entered the room as the two giggling girls stopped their conversation, a thick awkward air undeniably hanging in the air.  
  
"Well, well, well," Natalie droned, scanning Ginny with a raised eyebrow. "Look who decided to show up..."  
  
"Uh..." Ginny uttered, not really sure what she should respond to that.  
  
"Where have you been?" Emma's innocent voice filtered in the air, weirdly making Ginny guilty of her mysterious absence that morning.  
  
"I..." Ginny contemplated if she should lie to her in case Draco intended the reason to be extremely confidential, but he did not really mention anything about the secrecy of the matter so Ginny was not sure if it was safe to actually blurt out to Emma that her roommate, a fellow servant was going to be their master's escort to the upcoming ball. Luckily, Natalie decided to make things easier for her by cutting in.  
  
"Don't you know, Emma?" Natalie droned, playing with a lock of her hair looking annoyingly superior in her pose and attitude. "Princess Ginny is now Master Draco's companion to the forthcoming social banquet tomorrow evening. Isn't that extremely fairy tale-ish? A poor under-blessed maid to be the partner of the royal and charming Prince...how revoltingly classic."  
  
Ginny was speechless.  
  
"How did you find out?" she asked, still stunned.  
  
"News fly around, faster than you could say fairygodmother," Natalie smirked. "Frightening isn't it?"  
  
"Wow!" Emma gushed, looking very child-like with the expression pasted on her face. "So, you're going to be, like, Snow White or something!"  
  
"It's Cinderella, Emma," Natalie scorned. "Cinderella was the one who was dirt poor and tormented but still managed to get the handsome hunk with a castle in his pocket."  
  
"That's so super, Ginny!" Emma swooned once more, bouncing up and down on her bed that she was on. "This is like, the Revenge of the Maids where we are finally getting the attention and respect that we deserve!"  
  
"Oh, shut up Emma," Natalie snapped, obviously annoyed by her colleague's overly optimistic behavior. She then turned to Ginny who was still standing on the doorway, too overwhelmed to approach her side of the room and said, "So, Virginia, what did you have to do to be in the envied position you are in right now?"  
  
Ginny stared, then answered hesitantly, "Nothing..."  
  
A beat passed.  
  
"Nothing?" Natalie asked incredulously, her expression in complete skepticism. "You didn't turn your charm on him for him to even consider you as a worthy candidate or even mix a ludicrous potion on his morning tea?"  
  
"No!" Ginny exclaimed, furious at the thought of herself doing something as stupid as that. "You know I would never do that! I don't even want to participate in this ball in the first place but I was forced and now..."  
  
"And now... you are the talk of the manor and the will-be mortal enemy of the 'ice' if she ever finds out," Natalie said knowingly.  
  
"Oh my God! Master Draco's fiancée!" Emma squeaked, noticeably already frightened about the thought. "What would she think about this? But initially, she was obviously supposed to be the one who Master Draco would invite to be his date to the ball tomorrow evening, what happened then?"  
  
"Ginny," Natalie sighed, actually looking very regretful for some reason that Ginny could not fathom. "As I would like to envy your fairy tale fortune, I don't want to be dead meat when the time comes."  
  
-)(-  
  
The sun was brightly shining through the unblocked petite windows of their quarters and that was a bad thing.  
  
That meant Ginny overslept.  
  
But that also didn't make sense.  
  
Why didn't anybody wake me up? Ginny thought, squinting through the blinding light that was shining right in her eyes. She looked around for a desk clock somewhere and saw in Emma's alarm clock that it was already nine o'clock in the morning, and compared to her usual wake-up time at six in the morning and her seven A.M on duty call, this meant that she was no doubt going to be the recipient of Mary's morning ritual of screaming at a maid just because they did something not perfect.  
  
"What a way to start the big day," Ginny muttered under her breath, rubbing the sleepiness off her eyes.  
  
She then went to the washroom to get ready for the day and whatever things that Mary decided to shout at her.  
  
After she was finished preparing herself, she tiptoed down the stairs leading to the main kitchen expecting the whole kitchen staff to be angry at her for being too lazy to wake up early, not really thinking of the fact that it was her first time to be less than satisfactory in everything that she had done in the manor from the day that she was hired.  
  
She reached the kitchen and what she met was definitely not what she was expecting.  
  
Everybody was ignoring her!  
  
Not in a sense that they could not see her but in a sense that they were all acting as if everything was normal and that they have no right to even be remotely irritated by an indolent coworker. Ginny just stood there for a moment watching as everybody did his or her task as if she wasn't wanted anywhere.  
  
After being deliberately stunned by the scenario she was witnessing, Ginny scanned the room for Mary to ask what she should do now, because at this point her daily routine responsibilities that morning was obviously finished already by some unfortunate maid who it was assigned to.  
  
Not seeing Mary in or near the kitchen vicinity, Ginny decided to approach Natalie, who was finishing up washing the dishes from the morning breakfast of the Malfoys, her back turned to her so she probably did not see Ginny from the start.  
  
Ginny approached her with an impending doom of her sarcasm and witty insults that was sure to come her way.  
  
And she was not mistaken.  
  
"Natalie, you don't happen to know where Mary is, do you?" Ginny carefully asked.  
  
"Well, there you are!" Natalie exaggeratedly greeted as she turned around, placing the last of the plates on the drying rack. "Look everybody! Our little princess is here! So how was your beauty sleep?"  
  
Ginny seethed inside. This day was going to be already challenging enough and sarcasm this early in the morning was definitely not welcome at this point.  
  
"Just tell me where she is, Natalie," she said, trying real hard to control her annoyance. "I don't have the time nor the patience to deal with this right now."  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Natalie snapped, crossing her arms in a gesture of self- proclaimed superiority. "I didn't realize that! Well, guess what? I don't have the energy or the patience to deal with you either after doing your entire task early this morning and having Mary breathing down my neck every bloody time that I do things different from the way you do. But of course, our spoiled brat can sleep until ten in the morning just because she was fortunate enough to be the boss's date for the ball."  
  
Ginny was speechless.  
  
"And just for the sake of answering your question," Natalie continued. "Mary is at a meeting with somebody. A wedding planner or something, I've heard. You know, you're lucky to not be in this kitchen or anywhere near the area this morning because you were not forced to listen to Mary's pointless sermon, telling us about that cursed wedding. Come on! How much trouble could a simple wedding be?"  
  
"Well, what I've heard is that they are definitely not going to keep it simple." Esmeralda, the half-kitchen maid, half assigned to the master quarters, said, approaching them, still with a broom in her hand.  
  
"And I wouldn't expect it to be," Emma piped up, a dirty rag still clutched in her right hand. "I mean, it's going to be the wedding of two of the most dominant and influential people in our community, I could not imagine the wedding being less than elegantly perfect. It's like an announcement for everyone to see how powerful the two families really are when united."  
  
"Wow, Emma, this is actually one of the times that you actually made intellectual sense," Natalie droned sardonically. "I congratulate you on that!"  
  
"Natalie, stop it!" Ginny warned, feeling quite defensive for Emma even though she knew that it was definitely not her business to be intruding on theirs.  
  
"Sorry, your highness," Natalie retorted, raising a single eyebrow in the process. "I did not realize that what I say or do to other people is any your concern. What are you going to do now? Tell on me?"  
  
And with that, Natalie walked out of the kitchen, leaving a still irate Ginny in the kitchen.  
  
Awkwardness hung in the air in thick threads and Emma was still smart enough to break the silence.  
  
"Don't worry, Ginny," Emma said in her sweet reassuring voice. "She's just jealous."  
  
Ginny sighed in relief and in regret at the same time. She never intended to make enemies here in the manor except for those who she can't really stand. She shook her head and decided that she would just make it up to Natalie some time later. As for now, she had far bigger problems to deal with.  
  
-)(-  
  
She was terrified.  
  
She was utterly completely petrified but was still too stubborn to show it. Honestly, Ginny did not know if she could hold on this façade of absolute confident calmness any longer.  
  
Ginny and Draco – who was dressed in a sleek black tuxedo that matches his features perfectly that even Ginny could not help but admit that he looked extremely gorgeous – were standing in front of the fireplace, its fire illuminating the two in a mesmerizing orange glow. Ginny did not understand why the attire for the evening were very much alike muggle formal attires but that was the least of her problems right now. Draco was currently taking care of the floo powder while Ginny stand a few feet from here, quivering in dread and anxiety, already wearing the gown that she tried on the previous day.  
  
She watched as he opened a satin pouch and peeked in as if looking for himself if it was the one that he wanted. Looking satisfied, he approach Ginny with the pouch and asked, "You ready?"  
  
Ginny mumbled an incoherent response and saw that Draco could not help but smile. And that just made her more nervous. She took in a deep calming breath and relaxed her shoulders as Draco faced the fireplace and stared at it as if enthralled by the dancing flames.  
  
She expected him to throw in some floo powder already, since it was how they were supposed to get to the ball in the first place, but then instead of doing that, he turned and faced Ginny again and spoke nonchalantly.  
  
"Are you nervous?" he asked.  
  
Ginny's eyes widened but she still managed to remain her composure and dignity by answering, "No, why would I be?"  
  
"You don't have to lie to me you know."  
  
"I'm not lying."  
  
"Funny, I think you are. You don't have to pretend to be so cool with all this."  
  
"Be still my heart, oh wait! It is," Ginny cynically replied. "I'm not pretending."  
  
"Well, it's rather ironic, really, you're not nervous," Draco answered back still imperturbably, like they were talking about the weather or related subjects like that. "But I am."  
  
He's what? Ginny was stunned.  
  
"You're nervous?"  
  
Draco sighed. "Only in a terrified way."  
  
"Uh..."  
  
Ginny was speechless.  
  
"I mean, meeting and acting all sweet and ghastly nice to people that will stab you in the back any moment that they are presented the chance to can be a bit strenuous. Plus, everything that you do will be recorded by the overly inquisitive journalists that will be there, literally telling the whole wizarding world what a big and stupid son of a ruler you are so... yeah, I think I have every right to be terrified."  
  
Is he serious? Ginny thought and could not help but think that he was only playing her so that she would admit that she felt the same way too.  
  
"Oh don't do that!"  
  
"Don't do what?"  
  
"Don't be all distrustful on me. It's insulting. I'm not going to do anything to you."  
  
Deafening silence hung in the air for a second.  
  
"We're gonna make it through this, don't worry," Draco said, sounding almost compassionate in the tone of voice that he used. Ginny was almost entirely sure that she had never heard Draco talk in that way before.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"I sound pretty sure, don't I?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Well then, I must be sure."  
  
"Is that just a comforting way of not answering the question?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
Ginny paused for a minute. This was not right. Draco was supposed to be all demeaning, trying to humiliate Ginny anyway he can. This Draco was just...sad and a bit sensitive.  
  
She must be dreaming. Yes, that was right. Any moment now, she will wake up in her bed, at six o'clock in the morning like she should and her little quarrel with Natalie will never happen.  
  
Any moment now...  
  
Oh! Who was she kidding?  
  
"Don't you think we must be going now?" she asked, trying to steer the conversation to a more concrete subject.  
  
"Yes, we should." He answered.  
  
Ginny stared at him. He had this mellow expression on his face, as if he was thinking deeply about some hidden yearning about something or someone. Such a small thing it was but Ginny was astoundingly surprised by her newfound knowledge. She never expected that Malfoys could look so innocent and full of hidden wisdom.  
  
All of a sudden, rudely snapping Ginny out of her fascinated trance, Draco threw a handful of floo powder at the fireplace and it responded by giving off a loud bang and turning its orange fire into dazzling green.  
  
Draco turned to her, held out his arm and said, "Lets go."  
  
Ginny gladly accepted the extended arm and prepared herself for the worst.  
  
-)(-  
  
It was far more enjoyable than what she had predicted, Ginny could not help but admit.  
  
The venue was gorgeous. Absolutely wonderful and magnificent as it was held in a massive area with two elegantly curved staircases, which was, were the bell of the ball, the lovely birthday celebrator, entered the celebration, wearing a gown that transcends the word beautiful. Ginny was sure that she had never seen anything more elegant and demure as that of the exquisite dress. The motif of the place was gold and more gold, the whole circular panorama looking extremely overwhelming and stunning even with the monotonous color. Wealthy looking people stroll around the place holding glasses with one of their hands and the colorful masks on the other talking to each other in little groups. Ginny could not really see their faces completely but she somehow got the impression that all were looking quite sour under their gleeful masks. Maybe Draco was right, that people went to parties like this just for reputation's sake.  
  
Ginny, along side with Draco, kept her mask on, carefully making sure that she kept it close to her face all the time so that she would not risk the possibility of somebody recognizing her. The mask that Beth gave to her earlier that evening before getting ready for the ball was attractive enough with it matching perfectly with the dress that she was wearing and covering more or less three-fourths of her face so that it was almost certain that nobody was going to identify her under it but also breezy enough so that she would not be claustrophobic beneath it.  
  
Several couples were dancing in the middle of the spacious room and from where Ginny was standing, she could see the party thrower flirting with a handsome looking lad by her own little throne in front of the dance floor. She turned to where Draco was and watched him talk to an old but filthy rich looking wizard whom Ginny learned, was in the name of Mr. Stevenof.  
  
"So, Mr. Malfoy," he said, grinning quite stupidly when there was no reason to. "How was your father? It's been a long time since I last saw that wizard."  
  
"Well, he's...he's busy," Draco answered, also smiling out of courteousness, adjusting his eye mask probably for a better view of the person he was talking to. "It's not really easy running a community as big as ours, you know?"  
  
"Yes..." Mr. Stevenof droned, his overly jovial smile disappearing a bit. Ginny was convinced that the old man thought that Draco was demurely bragging about his father's position in the wizarding world. Definitely not a good sign.  
  
The other people in their little group had also changed their expression. Consisting of two other old but quite prosperous couple looking as if they had just inhaled a very pungent odor and another middle-aged man, like Mr. Stevenof – who had no female companion with him – Ginny could safely say that people were definitely not enjoying this party as much as they should. The representation of the emotions on their faces were not really that obvious because of the masks that were pressed on it but Ginny could almost feel the hostile tension circling in the air as jealousy and greed started to radiate in wild thick waves. It was a complete contrary of the fake smiles and agreeing nods that they usually wear.  
  
Ginny looked at Draco, wanting to know what his expression would be at a situation like this but Draco looked like nothing happened and he was as composed as ever. It was either he did not notice Mr. Stevenof's sudden change of behavior or that he was just really good in hiding what he felt.  
  
A young man who was about Ginny's age joined their little group by the far side of the dance floor and casually nodded in his form of greeting. He looked oddly familiar but Ginny could not place him anywhere. She discarded the thought and nodded at him in respect.  
  
"Ah! Everybody, this is Mr. Finnigan, my ever loyal nephew," Mr. Stevenof announced, looking very proud indeed as if the boy was one of his greatest accomplishment. Seamus nodded in return.  
  
Ginny unintentionally blanched.  
  
Oh my god.  
  
She was almost absolutely certain that he would recognize her, her face under a mask or not. She and Seamus was never really best of friends and they never actually became close in their Hogwarts' days but both were in the same house and they were bound to be aware of each other's presence.  
  
Ginny looked at Draco, trying to catch his eye in near panic. She was not sure if Draco recognized or remembered Seamus from Hogwarts and that if he thought of him as a threat to Ginny's confidential identity. Ginny silently cursed herself as she failed to seize Draco's attention.  
  
She turned her concentration back on whatever they were currently talking about.  
  
It turned out, however, that both Ginny and Seamus were not interested in the topic and were not participating in the conversation and that neither of them looked absolutely pleased to be stuck in a group as dreary as theirs.  
  
And dreadfully, Ginny could sense what Seamus was about to do next.  
  
"My lady, would you like to dance?" he cautiously asked, as if uncertain that Ginny would take the invitation full-heartedly.  
  
"Uh..."  
  
Ginny glanced up at Draco, asking for a silent approval. He was not looking at her though and was completely transfixed with the conversation with Mr. Stevenof and the other people in their group as if they were talking about the most interesting thing in the world.  
  
Ginny was starting to be alarmed again. There was no assurance that Seamus would recognize her but there was also no guarantee that he would. She looked at the extended hand and up to the mellow face of the body that it was attached to. And then she found out that she could not possibly not dance with him and break his heart.  
  
Such sweet sweet Seamus... Her true identity be damned, Ginny thought as she accepted Seamus's hand and proceeded to the dance floor. Draco was too busy to notice her anyway, at least with Seamus, she felt as special and attractive as she should, with all the fuss about the dress and all. She knew she looked gorgeous. And it was now time to flaunt it.  
  
-)(-  
  
"Father was thinking about lifting up the prohibition against the Cruciatus Curse, but as for now, they are still studying on the aspects of the said law," Draco drawled on mechanically, explaining to them what his father was planning for the wizarding community in Europe. They asked for it anyway, so Draco didn't see anything wrong with showing off all their power and glory to other people who desperately wanted it. "He said that it could be extremely useful from time to time and I find myself agreeing with him."  
  
His audience nodded in approval and with satisfaction, Draco turned to his side to where Ginny was to look at what she thought about all these.  
  
Draco's face complexion noticeably lightened to what he saw.  
  
Or what he didn't see.  
  
Where the hell is she? He thought, frantically scanning the area for the petite red-head.  
  
His companions noticed the sudden change of attitude of Draco and Mr. Stevenof politely asked him what he was looking for. Draco answered keeping his voice at a neutral with all his might.  
  
"Oh!" Mr. Stevenof laughed notably making Draco extremely willing to bite the overly jolly man's head off. "She's over there, with my nephew, Mr. Finnigan."  
  
Draco turned around with remarkable speed and saw the two dancing at the middle of the dance floor their arms around each other like very friendly octopuses. He didn't even think that it was possible to be that close with the masks and all that.  
  
Draco fumed inside.  
  
What the hell was she thinking? He furiously thought, watching Ginny and Seamus dance in the middle of the room surrounded by other couples that were waltzing with the mellow music.  
  
Oh, she will pay. She will definitely pay...  
  
-)(-  
  
Dancing with Seamus was much more pleasant than what she had expected. She thought that he would suddenly go all suspicious on her saying that she looked familiar or something like that but he didn't. He did not even mentioned anything about how she looked except for the time that he told her that she looked absolutely gorgeous. Ginny took the compliment gladly.  
  
They didn't talk much while dancing. And when they did, it was all about things about his uncle, which Ginny found out, was on his mother's side. And even with how much Ginny adored Seamus, she could not help but be utterly bored with all the talk about what Mr. Stevenof did with his life. He also told her how he was never really a fan of Lucius Malfoy's process of running the wizarding world but was left with no choice but to follow the rules and regulations of the new damned community. Ginny was actually relieved to find out that at least a few of the wealthy and at least mildly powerful people in their world did not fully support the evil and capricious directive of the current government.  
  
Ginny mainly kept quiet while Seamus babbled on about various things that interest him, and she was actually grateful that Seamus was a quite a bit self-involved meaning that less information will be asked from her.  
  
"I swear to God, if I could really do something in changing our world for the better and kicking out of their seats the corrupt people who just makes things more complicated. Lucius Malfoy is definitely the wrong man for the job. Look at our world now! He could run a country as well as he could play Quidditch!" Seamus said with absolute conviction like a politician trying to get more votes in his campaign. "I would really have done so already, but then, we all don't have any choice left at this point. We were already really lucky to not be stripped off our property and honor like many of the other families in wizarding London, our family can't really take such a risk as that."  
  
Ginny felt a sharp pain in her chest as she remembered her family's current ill-fated condition. His relatives were truly fortunate to not be wearing the Weasley's shoes at this point.  
  
"Yes, you were really lucky but I do wonder how long that luck would last," said a drawling voice from beside Ginny making her turn around in remarkable speed.  
  
And there stood Draco Malfoy, looking very confident but definitely pissed off from the way that he was standing and the expression that was on his face as he was holding his eye mask way below his face.  
  
"Draco!" Ginny gasped, glancing from Seamus's face to his. "I-I didn't realize that you were..."  
  
"Well, turns out, there are many things that you failed to realize tonight," Draco murmured close to her ear and then turning to Seamus's direction, he asked in a mocking polite way, "Can I have this dance with this lovely young lady? Or maybe you think that I'm not the right man for the job like my father is in running the wizarding world and in playing Quidditch?"  
  
Seamus blanched but in dignified poise, he stretched his hand palms up in also a sarcastic gesture of consent. With that, he turned around and walked out of the scene, moving towards his uncle's awaiting crowd.  
  
Draco took Ginny in his arms and moved her in the standard movement of the dance, his eye mask abandoned in one of his hand. Ginny adjusted herself and attempted real hard not to be so overly conscious of Draco's fingers entwined with hers and his other hand pressed on her waist. She also struggled to keep her face neutral and not let him know how much this simple gesture was affecting her.  
  
Ginny, what is wrong with you? Ginny thought, moving reflexively to the music. This is Draco Malfoy! You mortal enemy remember?  
  
"Didn't I tell you that you must not leave my side even for a brief period of time?" Draco angrily whispered at her, his hands tightening a bit on hers as it was slightly being controlled by his emotions.  
  
"Well, it was you who told me that you're not going to let me out of your sight even for just minute," Ginny reasoned out, not really sure if she was using the right technique to let Draco's anger subside.  
  
"That's not the point!" He snapped. "You should have been much wiser than to dance with a git like him!"  
  
"Seamus is not a git!" Ginny defended. "He is much nicer than you'll ever hope to be."  
  
"Right," Draco made a face. "He's Irish. Any English beggar's better than an Irish king."  
  
"Really?" Ginny sardonically replied, her eyes narrowing up in disbelief. "And how did you come up with this extremely entertaining proverb?"  
  
"Common knowledge," Draco answered with a hint of self-declared intuitiveness. He then sighed as if he was already exhausted and said, "Okay, I'm going to let this one pass but never ever do that again. The last thing we need is more scandal about the red-haired girl with the engaged son."  
  
"How will I have the chance to do what I did again when there's not going to be a second time, a second ball that I will have the privilege in attending?" Ginny boldly asked, not really caring of what he thought about her new derisive persona. He can't shout at her right there in the middle of the dance floor, can he?  
  
Draco eyed her contemptuously as if she had just grown another head. "What is wrong with you?"  
  
Ginny blinked in response.  
  
"I am trying to be nice here, for the first time, and all you do is make fun of me!" Draco complained, looking not very pleased indeed. "Figures! You do something good and people stab you in the back."  
  
Since when did Draco do something good? Ginny silently wondered, looking at this stranger that she was dancing with. This was not the Draco that she knew. This man had a heart and the Draco that she recognized simply didn't. Or at least if he did, he made a vow somewhere in time not to ever use it.  
  
Something was definitely severely wrong with this night.  
  
"I didn't mean to–"  
  
"Forget it," Draco told her, his tone of voice almost commanding. "Forget everything I said, hell, forget this very night. I'm going to go and take a breather and you are going to come with me. I don't want you dancing again with a news spy or some pervert."  
  
And with that, he pulled Ginny out of the dance floor and into the nearest exit way that he could find.  
  
-)(-  
  
"My Lady, you ought to look at this,"  
  
Vanessa Thurston, turned around arching a perfectly arched eyebrow into one of her servants who disturbed her reading. Such imbeciles those irritating servants were! They should be intelligent enough to have common sense and that was why they were hired in the first place! Didn't they realize that disturbing people's leisure time was extremely rude and at the same time awfully annoying?  
  
"What is it and make it quick!" she snapped, looking directly into the servant's eyes, making it quiver with terror.  
  
"Donna, your—"  
  
"Yes, I know who Donna is, now what is the matter?" Vanessa bellowed, causing the quivering servant to discretely back away.  
  
"She said you ought to look at this," the servant cautiously approached her and handed her a finely crafted mirror.  
  
Vanessa accepted it and peered into the magical glass. He saw two people in a garden, one male, one female, privately talking to each other. They looked friendly to each other enough but there was this fondness missing in both of them. As if they didn't know how to act with the other one around.  
  
But that was not what caught Vanessa's attention.  
  
What caught her attention was the unusual glint in the man's eyes. There was something in there that Vanessa could clearly place but cannot understand how this man could have that certain glint when she had known him as a cold-blooded, careless creature.  
  
There was definitely something wrong with this picture.  
  
Vanessa's eyes narrowed as the two continued talking... about what she could not hear. Her simple mirror only offered this much. But still, it was enough for her to take a hint. Good old Donna for donating her such an insight. At least she knows what was happening with her dearest one.  
  
"Is-is there anything else my lady wants?" the still trembling servant asked, guardedly sneaking back to her line of vision so he could be noticed.  
  
Vanessa looked up and answered, her perfect eyebrow still raised, not by the stupidity of her workers but by her newfound knowledge.  
  
"Yes," she answered. "Contact Donna and check on what time we are scheduled to arrive at the Malfoy Manor. I would love to see my dear Draco again."  
  
-  
  
-)(-  
  
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Author's Notes:  
  
If you want to read this fic in a more orderly formatting go to:  
  
_Malfoy_Manor/  
  
(copy-paste the url if the link did not work properly)  
  
There are fewer chapters there because I combined a couple of chapters to make it a bit longer. But still, it has the same content, and hopefully, this chapter will be uploaded on the site in a short period of time.  
  
Thanks you all for reaching this far and especially for those who have read this fic from the start and patiently (or impatiently) waited for the next chapter. I'm so sorry for being terribly busy and at the same time horribly lazy from time to time.  
  
Have a heart, review and expect the next chapter preferably in the next few days. I'm feeling really resolute these days. (  
  
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V 


	11. Frozen

Title: Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor

Author: Fallen Althea

Summary: We get to meet Draco's fiancée and more d/g interaction.

Disclaimers: JKR and Francine Pascal. This chapter contains numerous lines from Book Three: A Royal Pain and Book Five: Max's Choice of the Elizabeth Series. Also various quotes from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel the Series created by Joss Whedon.

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: d/g, d/OC

Spoilers: SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP and the Elizabeth Series created by: Francine Pascal, written by: Laurie John.

A/N: 'Njoy!

---

_**Chapter Eleven:**_

**Frozen**

---

"Ginny, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you," Mary started, looking very grim and stressed as she approached Ginny who was currently eating her corn flake breakfast at the servant's space in the kitchen.

Ginny looked up, as she felt a certain dread creeping up her spine. _Oh no, what now?_

"I'm sorry to say that you won't be able to take your leave today, as Master Draco promised," Mary announced, actually seeming genuinely sorry for the news.

"What?" Ginny's was baffled. He couldn't do this! He promised her this day. This lousy day was supposed to be her ultimate escape from all these degrading aspects of her life and he couldn't even give her that?

"Oh, no no no dear, I think you misunderstood," Mary said gently, noticing the maid's reaction to the news. "You will still be able to take your leave but just not today."

"I-I don't understand..." Ginny's heart sank.

"Well, you see, Master Draco's fiancée will be joining us for dinner and we will need all the help we can get for this evening making sure that all things are in their proper places as Lord Lucius said," Mary explained. "Don't worry, it's just a one day delay. You'll get to visit your family tomorrow."

"Uh..." Ginny was supposed to argue some more but Mary left her before she could utter another word. Now what? She sighed. Just one day more and she will get to visit her family tomorrow. She could hardly wait.

_Hang on, Ginny_, she thought, letting it all sink in._ You'll get there._

"Oh, don't worry," Emma whispered as she finished her breakfast. She was sitting across Ginny on the table looking very sympathetic. "You're lucky, you know? You have a family to return to. Mine's... not really there anymore..."

Ginny looked at Emma's sweet and innocent face and felt a bit better. It was hard to say that Ginny was still actually lucky compared to other people but she was and she should be grateful for that. One silly day before she will get to visit her family again after almost two months of no contact. She closed her eyes and, feeling resolute, said to herself that there was nothing to worry about. Tomorrow was just more or less twenty hours away.

It was Saturday morning, five minutes after Emma, Natalie and Ginny had eaten their customary breakfast, Ginny had already decided it would be easier to build a new house than to clean Malfoy Manor as fanatically as Mary seemed to want it done.

Standing like a drill sergeant, Mary had already dispatched Emma with the full length duster and Natalie with a basket of lemon oil and rags. Now she was explaining to Ginny how she was to steam iron all the napkins and tablecloths that were to be displayed for the dinner that night.

Ginny eyed the pile with resignation, thinking that originally, she wasn't even supposed to be there. _If it weren't for my family,_ she realized reluctantly, _I would take this evening's torture as an excellent opportunity to quit._

Listening to Mary chatter about how there was nothing finer than a proper formal table, Ginny had another realization. It's not because of my family that I'm enduring this day right now, Ginny thought. It's because I am also deathly curious about seeing the woman Draco wants to marry.

After Mary had set Ginny up with the old steam press and a fancy smaller iron, Ginny took the opportunity to sit on the heap of fine linens for a moment, her head aching - both at the thought of such a large amount of labor so early in the morning and at her conversation last night with Draco.

_Oh, why did I let myself to get literally dragged into that huge chat session?_ Ginny moaned inwardly remembering the night before. _It just made me think that Malfoys could actually have an amount of anything good in their system when the fact remains that they're just a bunch of two-faced monsters ready to suck everything out of you._

Yes, it was true, and no matter how much Ginny tried to convince herself that talking with Draco in the secluded gardens just outside the ball's main area was completely futile, boring and inadequate, she could not deny any longer that she actually enjoyed the little chat that they had.

Ginny sighed, rising to her feet. Regret wasn't going to help her get through the pile, and if there was anything she had learned from all the horrible things that had happened to her including the fall of Hogwarts and the death of Harry Potter, it was that hard work could sometimes be really helpful in taking your mind off things you didn't want to think about.

But the monotony of laying out heavy sections of cloth under the steam presser, then going over the edges with the iron, only encouraged Ginny's mind to wander back to their conversation yesterday. Not only had Draco seemed so interested in her life - _which is kind of interesting right now_, Ginny thought_, if you find mopping floors interesting _- he had taken the first step towards opening himself to her, saying the things that Ginny thought she would never hear from a person like him.

---

_The first few minutes were extremely awkward. But then things became easy when they started talking and things just surprisingly and beautifully expanded from there._

_"To fear is one thing. To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is another," Draco said, when they went to the topic if there was anything thing that he feared at all. "People who complain about our world today are stupid because to whine and find fault is all they want to do. They criticize every chance they get but what they really are just a bunch of cowards, too afraid to do anything about what they complain about."_

_"They complain not because they're too scared to do anything about the current situation of our community but they object to the unfairness of our society for the reason that they have no choice to do anything else," Ginny opposed. "Do you think they actually like having no say in what happens to our world and just be forced to do what the corrupt leaders want them to?"_

_Draco smirked much to Ginny's annoyance. "Calm down, I'm only stating my opinion on things," he said. "You don't need to act like this is a formal debate or anything."_

_"If I want your opinion, Draco," Ginny retorted quite angrily. "I'll... I'll never want your opinion."_

_"Oh, very mature, Virginia," Draco sneered. "I'm just saying that we control what happens to our lives and nobody could take that power from us no matter how people think other wise. You know? We are the master of our fate and the captains of our soul."_

_Ginny stared. "How did you know muggle literature?"_

_Draco stared back his intense gray eyes boring into hers. "How did you know muggle literature?"_

_"Me and Hermione talked about muggle writing a few years back." Ginny sadly answered, thinking about her long-gone friend. "I thought the comment was meaningful."_

_A pause._

_"How 'bout you?"_

_"I have quite a few collection," Draco admitted, his eyes directed to the floor as if he was ashamed about what he was confessing. "Don't tell my father about it or else you're fired," he added suppressing as smirk._

_"Really?" Ginny was surprised._

"_Yes," Draco answered. "You'll be back in your smelly rundown house with your family with no money at all. Now that paints a pretty picture."_

"_No, I mean the muggle literature collection," Ginny clarified though she knew that Draco understood perfectly well what she was talking about in her first comment._

_Draco remained quiet as Ginny stared at him once more. The moonlight peeking through the thick trees emit a quite idealistic glow on the plants and the only two in the balcony. Though Ginny could only admit it to herself, she thought that Draco looked more attractive with his melancholy face being illuminated by the soft radiance of the innocent moon._

_"What is it?" she asked._

_"It? There's no it, it's nothing, really."_

_"You sure?"_

_Draco remained silent and so did Ginny. There was this surprisingly comfortable silence enveloping them that minute and it was beautiful. Just simply beautiful._

_---_

Ginny shivered, now ironing napkins with such a steely efficiency that the pile to her left had tripled in size.

Mary popped her head in, and Ginny started, scared that she was about to be disciplined again.

"Ah, Virginia! You're almost done. When you finish up, come help Natalie with the dusting." Mary disappeared just as quickly.

Ginny shook her head, then began to laugh at the imitation of Mary with which Natalie had regaled her and Emma a couple of nights back. "Now, guhlllllz," Natalie had said, stretching out the word as Mary did when she was doing her rendition of a high-class accent. "If you simply follow the Lady around with a broom and dustpan at all times, I'm sure we can avoid the types of accidents we witnessed last year with Lord Bulivine..."

Lord Bulivine, Ginny had divined, was a distant, five-year-old cousin who had wreaked havok in Lord Lucius's study on a visit last year.

Emma had played the dutiful maid. "Oh, yes, miss! May I be so honored as to dump the crumbs from milady's plate into the waste bin as well, miss?"

Natalie had fixed Emma with Mary's hawk-like stare. "No miss, you may not. That is an honor reserved" - here Natalie had paused to take a haughty breath - "for myself."

That night, the girls had all dissolved into giggles - glad for one moment to be free of the tyranny of their lowly positions at the Malfoy Manor. A moment later, Mary had knocked angrily on the door, then entered.

"There is entirely too much noise here!" she had declared, looking at all of them as if she'd like to eat them alive. Ginny and Emma had to struggle not to burst out laughing in Mary's face. When she had finally left, they had descended on their beds, biting their pillows to keep Mary from hearing the laughter out in the hall. It was so heartwarming to remember the good times she had here in the Manor primarily because there were hardly any. Still, it was good to know that there were at least few good memories that she could take with her when the time comes that she will be leaving the manor. That is if she could survive roughly four more months.

But now, Ginny could feel the familiar knot of tension gathering again - a tension that probably, after seeing the famous fiancée, would only increase.

Ginny tossed the last napkin on the heap and slammed the steamer shut.

It was going to be a long day.

---

_"So," Draco began after the long silence that he himself had created, "are you happy?"_

_Good one._

_Moron._

_"What?" She was obviously confused, as well as she should be. But it was too late to turn back now._

_"You look sort of... down."_

_Now she was edgy. "You've been watching me?"_

_Her smile was genuine. Her amusement more so._

_"No, why would I be watching you?" Draco tried to redeem himself but he knew that it was way too late to do that. "I was just wondering. There's a saying that there is nothing so bitter, as the bitterness of suffering alone, so maybe you could share some with me so you won't be... alone."_

_That was downright lame._

_And Ginny was looking at him as if he had grown another head._

_"What?" he smirked, struggling to keep his dignity intact. "Not as evil as you think?"_

_"What are you doing?" Ginny demanded, getting pretty annoyed. "Why are you playing games with me? Why don't you just show your real colors and stop pretending to be someone you're not!"_

_"I'm not playing games with you, Ginny," Draco replied, pushing aside the creeping thought that she looked unusually pretty when she's mad. "If I am playing games with you then you'll be in St. Mungo's right now. People are not as black and white as you think."_

_Ginny was stumped. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that Draco of all people would lecture her about the perceptions of the human soul when Ginny was convinced that he hardly had one._

_She was also well aware of the fleeting personas that Draco was giving out and she was not going to fall for his pseudo kindness mode. The glitz and the glamour of the night seemed to be fading away and Ginny was becoming more wary of this new Draco that was unusually pensive beside him. This can't be real._

"_You know, that really sounds funny coming from you," Ginny retorted. "I actually might end up in St. Mungo's if you keep this up."_

"_Don't you ever get tired of contradicting me?"_

"_Not really," answered Ginny, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "It's my life goal you see, to fight for wizarding rights, keep my family alive and to hate annoying conceited sons of heartless dictators. So far, I think I'm doing a pretty good job."_

_Ginny waited for a retort but Draco remained uncharacteristically silent. She was beginning to get anxious._

_Maybe she had gone too far._

"_I think you actually hurt my feelings there Weasley," Draco said softly._

_---_

"Emma? Are you alright?" Ginny called. She had seen Emma scurrying down the cellar steps a few minutes ago, and now she could hear loud crying.

"No," came a piteous wail, followed closely by a hiccup.

Ginny rushed down the worn stone stairs to the dank room below. She squinted in the dim light, searching for Emma. When she heard fresh sobs, she rounded a corner and found Emma huddled in a place by an empty fireplace.

"What is it, Emma?" she asked, wrapping her arms around the girl's shaking shoulders.

Emma looked up, her plain face glistening with tears. "I've broken a glass," she whimpered. "Mary's going to deduct this on my pay. I've got my grandmother to look after. She needs my wages to buy food. Granny's old, Ginny - she can't be missing her meals, and she's the only one I got..." She dropped her forehead to her knee and began to cry again.

"It's okay," Ginny said, stroking Emma's dull, brown hair. "I'm sure Mary won't care about one broken glass."

Emma's head snapped up. "She does, though. She's always telling me to be more careful. I didn't mean to break it."

"I'm sure you didn't" Ginny said. "Come on, let me help you up." Ginny stood up and reached out her hands. "Mary will be angrier if she thinks you're shrinking your duties."

"I would never do that, Ginny. I always work hard."

Ginny smiled. It was true. Emma did work hard - much harder than Natalie. But the funny thing was, it was always Emma's work that had to be done over. It was after Emma "cleaned" the tiled kitchen floor that it needed to be mopped. And she was a disaster when it came to food preparation too. All Emma needed to do was to breathe near the oven and the Cook will collapse.

"She might send me packing this time." Emma whimpered. "And I don't know what I will do after that..."

Ginny shook her head. "I don't think so, Emma. Not over a broken glass. Things get broken in kitchens all the time. Just give it to Mary for her to perform a basic spell and the glass will be good as new. I would've done it but we all don't have our wands with us. Look, if it'll make you feel better, I'll tell Mary _I_ broke the glass. Okay?"

Emma wiped her nose with her sleeve. "You'd really do that for me?"

Ginny nodded. After all, what was the big deal? "Come on, I'll go tell her right now."

Emma stood up and pulled three small pieces of very worn glass from her apron pocket. "The rest of it just sort of...disintegrated."

Ginny glanced at what remained as she walked up the cellar stairs. There were some sort of initials etched in one piece, but they were practically worn smooth. _This glass must have been ancient,_ she thought. _Mary will probably get rid of it instead of wasting time doing a repair spell on it._

As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, Ginny went directly to the servant's table, where Mary and Natalie were washing the newly picked vegetables that the cook, Matilda, would probably need for tonight's much fussed-over dinner. She held out the remains of the glass.

"What do we have there, Virginia?" Mary asked.

Ginny glanced knowingly at Emma. "I'm sorry. I broke this glass."

Mary took the pieces from Ginny's hands and began to study the engraved bit. Suddenly, her usually ruddy complexion turned white. Her bottom lip began to quiver, and she looked up at Ginny, her small blue eyes incredulous.

"You clumsy girl!" she gasped. "How could you? This was a gift from the Slytherin clan itself to the Malfoy family thousands of years back. This has been in the family for hundreds of generations! What were you doing anywhere near the china cabinet in the main sitting room? You know that touching the Malfoy's personal items is strictly forbidden!"

Ginny felt her jaw hovering somewhere around her knees. No wonder Emma had been cowering down in the cellar. If Ginny had been so foolish as to break one of the Malfoy treasures, she would have been doing the same.

_Only you did break it, remember?_ Her mind shot back at her. _You told Emma you would take the blame. It's your problem now!_

"I-I don't understand," Ginny stammered. "I-I thought you can do a spell on it so it could be in one piece again."

"This is not a common glass that one could tamper with!" Mary shrieked, her eyes were getting wider and wider that it was almost comic. "This glass was made by an extinct race of trolls and was designed immune to any forms of magic. It does not react to any spell or incantation. The best thing we can do is to find muggle glue and put all the pieces together! What were you thinking, Virginia?!"

Ginny was dumbfounded. What_ was_ she thinking taking the blame from Emma?

"I'm sorry but I have to report this to the family," Mary said, placing the broken pieces in a white linen cloth on the servant's table.

Ginny was shaking with terror in her seat while anticipating the circumstances that the idiocy her actions had brought her. Mary was calling a member of the family to inform them about her stupidity and Ginny was almost certain that she would be severely lectured or even be sent away. This was it; she was finally getting her wish in escaping out of this hellhole.

"What's going on in here?"

Ginny whirled around to see Draco standing awkwardly in the kitchen doorway.

"Mary, you called?"

Mary bustled toward him. "I'm so sorry, Master Draco, we've had a problem here," she held out the broken pieces of glassware. "I have some very bad news. Virginia has broken the alliance cup given from the Slytherin family themselves a thousand of years back. I was just giving her the dressing-down. If you want me to dismiss her, we'll all understand."

Ginny started. She hadn't expected Mary to be that frank. Yes, she was strict but she had always been civil with Ginny because she tried her very best to do things Mary will appreciate. She turned to Draco, their eyes locking for the first time since last night. Instantly, all thoughts of everything that happened at the ball flew to her head. And from the look that Draco was giving her, it was obvious that he was thinking the same. Why, Ginny had no idea. It was supposed to be an ordinary night for Draco and there was definitely nothing special in it in his opinion, or was this really the first time that he went out with a manor maid?

Draco looked at the pieces of glass in Mary's hand, a quite peculiar expression pasted on his face. It was probably because Ginny had never seen Draco actually thinking as hard as he was at that moment. He seemed to be contemplating on the damage that a broken piece of glass had done and if it worth sacking a clumsy servant. Finally, he looked up and stared back again at Ginny.

"It's all right, Mary," Draco said in a controlled voice. He held out his hands for the shattered pieces, his eyes looking intently at them as if remorseful that an ancient object with sentimental value to the family was there lying in his hands with no hope of being put back together again.

"Master Draco, are you sure?" Mary asked, not really believing her ears. "I thought that that glass was irreplaceable to the family?"

Draco sighed. "Not to worry, it's just an old glass." The pieces slipped from his hand into the rubbish bin. "Father will be pretty upset but he doesn't have to find out just yet." He smirked like he was actually proud that he was deceiving his father in some way. He then excused himself in a surprisingly polite way then walked out the kitchen.

"You're very lucky, Virginia that the young master was so... understanding... for the first time since I started working here twelve years ago..." Mary said the last line in incredulity that she actually paused for moment to think of the matter some more. "But that's not the point, best you mind yourself in the future!"

"I will, Mary," Ginny promised. "I..."

"That's right, Ginny." Natalie smirked, returning back to her duties. "Best be off to serve your master. You wouldn't want to keep _him_ waiting."

_What the hell does that suppose to mean?_ Ginny thought, gazing back to Natalie's knowing look. Ginny didn't say anything anymore though. She was too petrified by her near expulsion that she had just let that slip

---

_Ginny was mortified._

_He actually said what?_

_Deep inside, she knew that he was playing more games with her but that doesn't erase the fact that it was still the first time that he saw him like this. So… so…human._

_She was in loss of words once again and hated the fact that he was the only one who could make her lose her voice and wit completely._

"_I'm… uh…s-" Ginny backpedaled. There was no way that she was doing this. "You're a big boy, you'll get over it." She looked away and tried to act as unaffected as possible._

"_I will. I'm used to it remember?" Draco actually smiled that sad smile of his and it took all of Ginny's will not to feel sorry for the boy. She tried to convince herself once more that it was just a game and she was definitely not going to fall for it._

"_I may be an__ annoying conceited son of heartless dictator but you got to admit, there's everything else to like about me," Draco sneered. It seemed that he was back from being near human to being arrogant and spoiled. "I'm charming, witty, got lots of money, power and good clothes and am extremely handsome. I do think that that outweighs the annoying conceited son of a heartless dictator part. Not to mention that I'm a Viking in the sack if you know what I mean."_

_By this time, Ginny was almost convinced that Draco was in need of psychiatric therapy. She almost expected Draco to wink and smile a toothpaste smile after his extremely moving speech._

_"Could you contemplate getting over yourself for a second?" Ginny exclaimed, extremely irritated by Draco's mood swings. One minute, he was as sweet and sensitive as any other guy then really annoying and insulting the second. Ginny was starting to think that she didn't need Draco to play games with her for her to be sent to St. Mungo's. "That's why people dislike you and your family. You think that you're above everything and everyone and that you can control everything that you see. That's why people hate you and your family. And with what you did to our world, people will never forgive you for that. You don't deserve it."_

_Ginny was fuming. Everything that had happened to her family was coming back to her in thick violent waves that it was too much to keep to herself. Everything was their fault. The Burrow was demolished and sold to the richest investor; her brothers were either dead or in prison because of them. Harry Potter died because of people like the Malfoys who drowned in their all-consuming greed and pride and supported evil instead of good. All of it was getting to be too much to bear._

_"To forgive is an act of compassion. It's not done because people deserve it. It's done because they need it," Draco said, sounding not a bit insulted... just sad._

_Ginny was again speechless. It was like an epiphany seeing Draco in a whole new light. Maybe things were not as black and white as they seem. It was just that she could still not admit even to herself that a person like Draco could be anything other than evil._

_But maybe in time, things would change._

_---_

Draco had spent the remaining day wandering around in a fit of anxiety. First he tried to practice his sword skills, then gave it up after a few minutes in a probability of cutting his own head of because he was definitely not in the frame of mind to rehearse such intricate steps involving highly sharp and lethal objects.

He then went to the library in an attempt to review his mind on the deadly curses and potions that his father wanted him to remember by heart, but found himself staring at the pages blankly not even analyzing a single word.

There was something that was undeniably bothering him, but he could not pinpoint what it was. His mind kept going back to the ball last night and even though how much he tried to lure himself out of that futile reverie, his mind was just terribly resistant. That night with Ginny was definitely one of the most calming moments of his life; he could admit _that_ to himself but what he could not confess was that there was definitely that certain different reaction that his body just instinctively went through every stupid time that he was with her. Whether it was good or bad, he still could not decipher. And he was not going to waste anymore time thinking about it because there was obviously no point in doing so.

He looked at the time in the massive grandfather clock in the library and saw that it was already six o'clock, the appointed hour.

Draco had managed to stuff himself into a smart black elegant dress robe that Vanessa had gotten him on a recent trip to an expensive magical robe maker in Italy. His father, Lucius, had appeared - uncharacteristically - on time since he was straight from the Ministry of Magic after doing some things concerning about lifting the prohibition against one of the most lethal and cruelest curses there was. He was obviously dressed to impress as Draco saw that his father had that smug look on his face, an indication that he knew that he was on top of his game. His mother, Narcissa was looking bored in her expensive gown while sitting on one of the high-priced chairs in the manor's main reception area.

A few minutes later, the chimes rang, and Draco turned toward the door. He heard the murmur of Mary and Vanessa Thurston's voices, and then Vanessa swept in, followed by her mother and father.

"Hello, Draco," Vanessa said coolly, placing her hand on his arm while she kissed him dutifully on the cheek.

As usual, Draco found himself completely ineluctably overwhelmed by Vanessa's beauty. Normally, she toned her incredible gorgeousness down on a daily basis by pulling her hair back and wearing very plain, but still visibly unreasonably expensive clothing. Tonight, however, she was simply ravishing. Her hair was swept back on either side with bone clips, and the rest tumbled, golden and straight, down her back. Diamonds glittered at her ears. She was dressed in an exquisite ice blue silk gown, which pulled in tightly to her extremely small waist, then swept down to the floor. Glittering shoes peeked out from beneath the hem.

"Lord, you look lovely," Draco said, meaning it completely.

Vanessa turned toward him and gave him a warm smile. "You're very handsome yourself," she said, and a wave of her perfume hit him. And no matter how arranged their marriage was, Draco could not help but still be somewhat attracted to this stunning girl that he actually felt a bit dizzy at his proximity to this exquisite creature. Of course, Malfoys always got the best girls but still, Draco was feeling a bit detached from his usual relationship with Vanessa. As if something had changed between the two week span that they didn't meet.

Draco took a huge gulp of wine. "Drink?" he asked Vanessa.

While he was off getting a glass of the very excellent dry white wine that his father had fetched especially from the cellar for the evening, Draco could sense that Vanessa was acting a bit strangely. She kept following Draco with her gaze suspiciously as if he had done something wrong. He ignored the ridiculous idea and handed Vanessa her drink, and then installed himself at Vanessa's side.

Draco chatted with Vanessa's parents - perfectly cruel people like the Malfoy's themselves who liked him and his family very much because of their same view on the world - while Lucius took Vanessa's arm and engaged her in a deep conversation.

A few minutes later, the dinner was ready.

Draco had hardly been able to take his eyes away from Vanessa, but that changed when Ginny entered, hefting a tray of salad plates, followed by Natalie, who carried the plate of greens and silver tongs.

Since the previous night, it was Draco's first time to see Ginny again wearing the standard servant's uniform and acting submissively as a maid and serving the family obediently. Somehow, Draco saw her differently, he saw her as a person and not just a slave to the family's fortune and status and the longer that this was going on, Draco was starting to get more nervous by the minute by his newfound view on things that he should not be involved in.

"We're delighted that the wedding and reception will be held at good old Malfoy Manor," Vanessa's father boomed in Draco's general direction.

Draco took a moment to answer, distracted by his self-discovering trance and at the same time, though he would never admit also diverted by Ginny's circumnavigation of the table. As soon as he realized the comment had been directed at him, he jerked himself back into the conversation in a way not as gracious as he intended, hoping desperately that no one had noticed what had distracted him.

"Yes, yes," Draco responded, trying to smile braggingly. "That's what Vanessa wants, after all, and I defer to her in all these matters."

Vanessa fixed a cool smile on Draco. "Wise, wise!" Vanessa's father boomed, slapping his leg and raising his water glass toward Draco in agreement. His wife gave Draco a stiff smile.

But Draco was struck by the tableau of Ginny serving salad over Vanessa's shoulder. He could not help but compare the two. Ginny was dressed in a variant of their normal uniform - plain and boring as a flobberworm - and her hair was pulled back. Her face looked flushed, as if she had been working very hard for hours - which she probably had, Draco reflected. Still, it was astonishing: Ginny was every bit as beautiful as Vanessa and even though how much Draco tried to think of every logical reason why he should not think that way he could not seem to take control of his very resistant mind. Draco clutched his water glass fervently thinking that he was definitely in a fix here.

Sensing his gaze, Ginny caught his eye briefly, then looked away as if his look had burned her. Draco's eyes shifted, and he found Natalie's eyes boring, catlike, to his own.

Lucius raised his glass - oblivious as ever, Draco hoped. "A toast to the newlyweds," he said.

They all raised their glasses, Draco most firmly. He smile broadly at Vanessa, then at her parents, Narcissa then his father - to reassure them that _no, no, no,_ there was nothing wrong with him. He was not a bit least interested on the kitchen maid, not at all.

Vanessa didn't smile back, and Natalie, who was still inside the main dining room, cocked an all-seeing eyebrow.

The dinner had begun.

---

Vanessa had fulfilled every nightmare Ginny had ever had about "the ice", as the other maids identified her with.

When she had entered the dining room with the first course, she had actually almost drawn back, as if she had been dealt a physical blow. _I mean, I heard Vanessa was pretty,_ Ginny thought, _but this is too much._

Ginny had all sorts of ideas about how Draco's fiancée might look - ideas that she had pretended not to entertain - because it was obviously not her business - until she was forced to face the truth. One fantasy had Vanessa pegged as a true Slytherin-ish, even though she was certain that she did not attend Hogwarts, barbed rose: a kind of spindly blond with a turned-up nose and saucer-like blue eyes. Or, Ginny thought, she might have been the gawky younger sister of a Slytherin-ish barbed rose: tall, gooselike, and awkward, like some of the women that she had seen about, whose resemblance to the quacking breeds of the avian nation was more than passing. Ginny's favorite fantasy, however, involved a Vanessa that strongly resembled a female version of Neville Longbottom in her youth -- self-conscious, broad and entirely unenviable.

But Vanessa was none of those things. She was, in fact, their complete opposite.

Dressed in a silvery gown, her neck banded with what must be a real diamond choker, Vanessa could have been a model. _No, she's too pretty to be a model!_ Ginny amended. _What she looks like - what she actually is - is a real-life dark princess, a downright perfect partner for the main heir of the Malfoy wealth and power._

_They belong together,_ Ginny thought grimly, desperately ignoring the second voice deep in her mind that said that they didn't because Draco was a far different person that what she had expected and he should not be with an ice queen like Vanessa for all the reasons that he actually had a heart.

Suddenly, finding herself feeling very self-conscious about her sweaty face and straggly ponytail, Ginny had assiduously avoided the eyes of anyone around the table while she served the salad. Once she'd glanced up briefly, she had been shocked to find Draco looking back at her. She had cast her eyes down in shame. She had to stop seeming like a stalker - she was only the maid after all.

"From the left. From the left," Natalie hissed as Ginny hesitated over Vanessa's glossly shoulder.

Ginny prayed that she wouldn't send an artichoke heart tumbling down Vanessa's expensive and impressive décolletage.

_She doesn't even know you're here,_ Ginny thought unhappily. _She's been served by people exactly like you for her entire life, and you don't register any more in her consciousness than the doorknob or the tablecloth._

Ginny dropped three olives on Vanessa's plate and commented silently at Vanessa's perfectly trim figure, trying to cut off her bizarre train of thought before it reached epic proportions.

"Are you alright?" Natalie asked as they reached the kitchen, having doled out the salad without incident, Ginny was glad to realize.

Ginny tried to snap out of her stupor. "Of course! Why?" she chirped, putting on an exaggerated smile that she hoped would look normal.

Natalie pointed to her hand, and then gently disentangled her fingers from around the salad tongs. "You were holding that like you wanted to disembowel somebody with it," she said, more gently than she usually spoke, especially to Ginny.

Ginny smiled bitterly. _No one but myself_, she thought.

Natalie began to load a platter with sliced beef, popping a small piece in her mouth after looking around quickly for Mary. "Don't let the bastards get you down," she said, hoisting the tray over her shoulder and disappearing through the swinging kitchen door.

Ginny immediately felt a little better. _Why does Vanessa affect me like this?_ She thought. _I mean, that thing out there is superhuman and it's not like I'm competing with her. And there's no reason I should think that I have to. I'm not even attracted to Draco in the first place! It was just one night, and nothing much really happened. So I'm going to go out there and serve them their entrée, and I'm not going to give it another thought._

Ginny picked up the soup tureen and moved toward the swinging door.

Except she knew she would.

---

Draco was incredibly relieved when dinner finally ended and the leftovers from dessert were pooled on sticky plates.

Aside from thinking too much about things that he should not be thinking about, Draco was deathlike bored that dinner. First, the assembled party had discussed the wedding far longer than Draco would have preferred - all through hors d'oeuvres and into the salad course. What kind of music Draco and Vanessa would have, how her father and mother had had Scottish bagpipes at their wedding, how Vanessa's aunt and uncle had had a quartet play classic wizard's opera all through their ceremony. Then the adults moved on to a discussion of flowers, and Draco thought that he would never hear the end of zinnias, dahlias, gladiolas, roses and an assortment of magical plants that they were contemplating into using.

Then the assorted company had spent precious time again talking about hunting. It seemed that Vanessa's uncle had ridden over every rock and stone in the wizarding world, and he was perfectly contented to wax on about every magical creature he'd ever flushed out from behind a bush since he was eight years old. Draco wanted to curse the life out of the livery old windbag's face so that he would shut up.

Now, they were all supposed to go to the main living room and chat about tedious things once more. Draco decided to take a time out and he politely excused himself as he went up to his room to freshen up.

One more talk about the invitations or the flowers or the music for the wedding and he was sure that he was definitely going to blow.

---

Ginny had left off stacking endless plates in the enormous dishwasher to bring cognac and coffee to the guests since Natalie was, in Mary's words, "nowhere to be found." "And soon to be unemployed," Mary had snapped with great irritation as Ginny wished fervently that she possessed Natalie's knack for ducking out during the most wearisome portions of anything.

"May I refill your glass?" Ginny asked Vanessa's mother politely, sneaking a glance at the still beautiful Vanessa, who was seated on a small love seat with Lucius. The mother smiled widely, holding up her cognac glass, and Ginny dutifully took it.

"See here, girl," Vanessa's father commanded. Ginny jumped - it had been a while since anyone had called her "girl," if they ever had. "Bring me a scotch and soda, will you? And make it damn quick," he added, turning to clip his cigar.

Ginny headed over to the bar to mix drinks and decided to stop at the love seat on the way out, and pause until she was noticed, as Mary had rigorously drilled into her that she must. _It's part of my job after all,_ Ginny thought, trying not to smirk.

"Yes, Virginia?" Lord Lucius finally asked, looking very displeased that a creature like Ginny was in close proximity from him.

"May I offer his lordship or her ladyship anything?" Ginny asked the two, trying her best not to make eye contact with either of them.

Vanessa yawned. "No, she said, as if Ginny had offered her an old beaten-up shoe.

"No, Virginia," said Lord Lucius. "You can go now."

Ginny walked from the room, her face burning. As she stood over the bar mixing the scotch and soda, she heard Lord Lucius's booming laugh, followed by a series of genteel whinnies that could only have come from Vanessa. As silly as Ginny knew she was being, she couldn't help feeling that they must be laughing at her.

_No. They don't even see you, Ginny,_ she thought, feeling that she'd like to bury her head in the ice bucket. For people to laugh at you, they have to notice you first.

Suddenly, a geyser of rage rose up in Ginny. In the other room, Lord Lucius was chatting affectionately with Vanessa, a well-educated, beautiful, charming girl. _Well, I'm well-educated, beautiful, charming girl too,_ Ginny thought indignantly, her irritation providing one of the few instances in which she felt justified in acknowledging her good looks. _The only difference between us is that her family chose to side with Voldemort and gave themselves a lot of silly titles as to tell the whole world how a traitor they all are to the wizarding community. Is that something to be proud of?_

Slightly amused at how her envy of Vanessa had prompted a sudden attack of patriotism, Ginny uncorked a new bottle of cognac. Her rage cooled as she smiled a prepared to head back into the parlor when she heard someone speaking to her.

"He'd only use you, you know," a voice hissed behind her.

Ginny turned; scarcely believing her eyes and ears. There stood Vanessa, looking at Ginny like she was a specimen under a microscope. And _seeing_ her too, to be sure, Ginny thought, suddenly regretting her wish to be noticed.

"Oh, you're pretty enough, I'll grant you that," Vanessa continued, her perfect reflection looking as smooth and cold as marble to Ginny in the lamplight. "But you must not take Draco's playful attitude and illusory manner for anything more than they are - nothing. He enjoys looking at pretty girls, that's all. So whatever you're planning - whatever you're _hoping_ for," Vanessa sneered, "just put it out of your mind right now."

Vanessa's high-toned inflection cut into Ginny's self-possession like a razor. However, the fact that Vanessa was talking to her also gave her a boost of confidence. See - she was very visible indeed!

Ginny wouldn't have predicted that she would have faced a showdown like this so calmly but her amazement at Vanessa's bold confrontation, she decided later - plus having dealt with six brothers for so many years - gave her the strength to give back as good as she got.

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about," Ginny said, lifting a cognac glass in one hand and the scotch and soda in the other. She moved toward the door, then turned around toward the line of gleaming bottles. Vanessa's eyes had narrowed to positive slits, but Ginny faced them with little fear.

"There's fresh ice in the bucket," Ginny said. "I'm sure you know what you can do with it."

---

"To fear is one thing. To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is another."

_–Katherine Peterson_

"There is nothing so bitter, as the bitterness of suffering alone." – _Albert J. Nimeth_

"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul!" – _William Ernest Henley_

**A/N:**

So, longest chapter so far… whew!

Next chap: We get to meet again the reduced version of the Weasleys and Ron gets a line.


	12. Destruction and Despair

_Title:_ Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor

_Author:_ Fallen Althea

_Disclaimer:_ Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. I also borrowed an edited version of a chapter in my fic "The Final Battle" and a few lines from the Defense Against the Dark Arts chapter of my other fic "The Soul of a Teacher". Lines from Buffy the Vampire Slayer also included in this fic and a classic poem by Lord Byron.

_Rating: _PG-13

_Summary:_ We get to meet the reduced version of the Weasleys and Ron gets a whole chapter mostly dedicated to him. Flashbacks also included.

_Spoilers:_ All five books.  "The Final Battle" by Fallen Althea.

_Pairing:_ d/g, r/hr

_Timeframe:_ post Hogwarts years.

-

[][][]

Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor

Chapter Twelve:

Destruction and Despair 

[][][]

-

_The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold,_

_And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;_

_And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea_

_When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee._

_Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green,_

_That host with their banners at sunset were seen;_

_Like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath blown,_

_The host on the morrow lay withered and strown!_

_For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,_

_And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;_

_And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,_

_And their hearts but once heaved, and forever grew still!_

_And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,_

_But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride;_

_And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,_

_And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf._

_And there lay the rider, distorted and pale,_

_With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail;_

_And the tents where all silent, the banners alone,_

_The lances unlifted, the trumpets unblown._

_And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail,_

_And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;_

_And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,_

_Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!_

                                                -- George Gordon, Lord Byron _(The Destruction of Sennacherib)_

_A scream of denial, torn from a heart that stopped beating in that fatal instant, echoed across the grand hall of Hogwarts. From beneath upturned tables and charred house banners, the pitifully small number of students who remained alive watched in varying degrees of dulled horror as again, one of their own schoolmate and friend stumbled, then toppled backwards, knowing that they could be next, suffering that inevitable and horrible fate. Dean Thomas, one of Gryffindor's own, fell hard and landed on the cold stone floor, his eyes still open wide as if he didn't know and could not believe what was really happening to him._

_Ron Weasley's eyes filled with tears as the wasted young lives of his fellow schoolmates lay before him. Cut down at the very start of their lives, a whole generation of Britain's best and brightest wizards gone forever. So many of them had been his friends, his enemies and companions. And in that crucial moment, when Voldemort had stormed into the room with a number of Death Eaters, everybody had frozen. Even Ron's fear, terror and uncertainty overcame him, causing him to lose all presence of mind._

_Dozens and dozens of Death Eaters filled the grand hall surrounding the whole student body and blocking all the doors in and out of the room so that nobody could even try to escape. They took up position about the hall, forming a chain of death around the walls. They moved as one, as if they already rehearsed their placement at Voldemort's hideaway. This all happened very sudden that some of the students didn't even have the time to react to what was happening in front of their very eyes. _

_Voldemort himself was standing at the front of the hall, watching the chaos and destruction took place, a smile threatening to show on his thin, pale lips. He observed the devastation and the damage made by his minions with pleasure, as if he was watching a very amusing scene._

_Dumbledore had risen, and his sheer command that all the students remain seated and not panic was instantly obeyed. Nobody moved in fear that they could be next to feel the pain and the sting of a Killing Curse that the Death Eaters were flinging everywhere. Ron could see how hideously outnumbered the teachers were. Apart from Voldemort himself, there are about more than fifty Death Eaters striding down the aisles._

_"You dare to disturb the halls of Hogwarts? How dare you to pollute this place with your foulness?" the stern and measured voice of the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore did not hide the depth of his anger or the strength of his determination, but strangely enough, his face bore no more other than complete calmness. "How dare you face us all, Voldemort?"_

_"This is my school and I will do as I please, my dear Dumbledore," Voldemort's voice was as cold as ice and as slick as oil. It was a voice that could have been very pleasant to hear, if it was not from the lips and face of the most feared evil wizard in the wizarding world. _

_He swept a contemptuous look at the row of teachers at the front of the hall, who were looking tough and valiant, or at least trying to, even though Ron knew that they were quivering underneath that facade. What will become of the remaining number of alive students in the great hall was anyone's guess. This may be the end of them all, as one might say concerning the hopelessness of the situation, or this may be just the beginning of more horrifying events that could take place._

_Voldemort raised an eyebrow and looked towards his Death Eaters. He was preparing to make some pithy and arrogant comment, Ron thought savagely, when suddenly, Dumbledore raised his wand and directed a minor spell, hurling it at Voldemort's face, just to throw him off guard._

_As it if was an unspoken signal, the Professors attacked as one, disarming death eaters, wreaking havoc amongst them. They stormed through the hall as Voldemort staggered sideways away from them. Ron joined them, pulling students towards the center of the hall as quickly as possible, pushing the youngest furthermost under the tables, and placing the seventh years as an honorary shield about them. Every single person had their wand in their hand, ready for battle._

_The screams of the dead and dying mixed with the battle cries, weeping and pain. Countless students were injured, their blood being spilled in all directions, the sound of their cries overcoming the rage of the opposing party. The Death Eaters were not disarming, they were killing._

_Suddenly the room was illuminated by a sullen green light, a sickly corrupt color that turned the stately hall into a creepy and cavernous waste. Voldemort had risen from his hiding place like a gracious king rising from his throne. He seemed to be calling all his Death Eaters' attention to him and for an instant there, everybody just watched in awe as Voldemort did magic, more complicated and powerful than any of them ever expected._

_He raised his scaly hand with his long, pale and articulated fingers up in the air and said an incantation over and over again, his voice becoming more and more intense. Ron saw Dumbledore, standing just a little behind the Dark Lord, reciting some strange language that he could not hear nor understand. He supposed that the dear headmaster knew what kind of spell Voldemort was casting and he was saying a counter spell to it. It was obvious to all that the hex was powerful and very deadly, whatever it was._

_As the tension rose the incantations on both parties became more intense, the ground of the great hall started shaking and small debris from the ceiling of it began to roll down to the wrecked floor of the room. A few seconds after, every one of them felt this stinging sensation at the base of their stomachs, making them wither in pain and agony. It was like being hit by the Cruciatus Curse and in this circumstance, it might have been the said curse. Just all at once. The anguish was indescribable that screams of pain and denial tore through the walls of the great hall._

_Ron Weasley staggered backwards, his hands tightly pressed against his stomach. He, and like all of the other students in the great hall, was withering in pain. The impact of Voldemort's mighty hex was immediate and powerful. _

_Even up until now, he still could not believe what had happened to him and his schoolmates over the past few minutes. But peculiarly, the only thing that he could think of was where the hell was the great Harry Potter? Ron wondered if it would make any difference if Harry were here, fighting at their side, disarming more Death Eaters than any of the other students were doing. Would it be any different if he were with them, protecting their backs and saving them from near fatal strikes of various Death Eaters? Maybe, fewer students would be harmed and more would be saved with the illustrious and legendary Harry Potter fighting with them against the evil Dark Lord. He was, after all, Voldemort's actual mortal enemy and the reason for all this. Ron knew how Harry would react to what was happening once he finds out about it. He would blame himself for being so stupid and he would think that the attack was his own fault even though nobody is really blaming him for anything that he hadn't done._

_Such pity that Ron felt his life slowly giving away into the pain and his vision dimming. He silently sent a prayer for all of them as his last breath escaped him, before everything turned into black and everything he knew disappeared into nothingness…_

_Finally, he would be free from the pain and be with Hermione once again…somewhere in heaven… there would be peace…_

_Later, Ron would wonder why he was still alive, still in pain and chaos and destruction still present in everything he laid his eyes on. Later they would again fight the armies of death and he would regret surviving the hellish pandemonium that almost everybody that he loved and made life worth living perished on._

_Later he would want to die again… than to face the torture that fate had bestowed on him…_

[][][]

It was a barren wasteland. The wood was rotting and ductile, and smelled of decaying insects. Beads of water were dripping from the light damage in the ceiling, an unaffectionate gift from the splattering rain above the roof. The room was particularly small, unfurnished with only small beams of faint light illuminating the desolate surroundings. It was a room in the hostile surroundings at the downtown area of a rundown community.

Pests and various small filthy animals were often seen scurrying round the area. And that wet, gloomy afternoon was not an exception.

Ron Weasley was crouched at his usual position his unseeing eyes staring blankly into space. Flashes of the war playing uncontrollably over and over again in his mind, making him witness again all the moments in his life that he would rather bury forever, never to be reminisced again.

It was painful and the worst thing about it was that he couldn't get away from all of it. No matter how hard he tried to forget all those agonizing memories he still could not let go of it all because he knew, somewhere deep inside, that it still hurt to release those memories because the truth was, it was all that he had. The memories were all that he had.

He would give everything just to turn back time and change the present. But the problem was, there was not much to give.

He had nothing.

No fortune, no wealth, no friends, no love, no brothers…even his own eyesight was not an exception. It was pathetic.

_He_ was pathetic.

Living only in his own little world, sharing his thoughts with no one but himself. He might not be deaf nor mute but if he was, it would make no difference. No difference indeed with Ron having abandoned his power to speak out and do something with his broken life so long ago. He had long forsaken his ability to hear his mother and sister's numerous but futile speeches full of hope and optimism about their broken existence.

What was the use anyway?

Did they think that by repeating those bright and cheerful things to themselves that everything will be fine and everyone will be finally happy someday somehow that one day those hopes would happen and dreams will come true?

It was stupid to believe those things.

Ron had learned that a long time ago.

There was no use hoping, there was no use believing that the greater good will win and justice will prevail.

There was no use in having faith. There was no one to save them anyway.

They were on their own.

And nothing to be proud of.

[][][]

Molly Weasley was attempting to make lunch.

And she was failing miserably.

It was not that she suddenly lost her cooking prowess, but it was because she was crying.

Again.

Molly was pissed and angry at the world. Why was she wasting her time and effort anyway? Why was she currently there, in the kitchen trying to mix up something that will be worth eating, when Ron would just stare at whatever she would serve, say nothing and ignore her hard labored creation and when Arthur was not even in the condition to actually eat something solid.

She had tried, so hard, to be very optimistic with their current situation but it was useless. Every day, every minute, every second was getting harder and harder to bear and was getting more and more difficult to keep a positive mind.

She was starting to doubt her strength to keep going and to face each painful day head on.

"Mom?"

Molly turned around, snapping out of her depressing trance.

She saw her dear daughter, Ginny, standing at the middle of the kitchen looking quite apprehensive. "Mom, are you okay?"

Molly quickly wiped her tearing eyes with the back of her hands, trying real hard to look as if she had not been wasting a good twenty minutes crying over things that she had no power to control.

"Fine, fine," she said, pasting a sad smile on her face. "How are you?"

Her daughter looked exhausted. Her once energetic aura now gone replaced by an air of outmost perseverance and fatigue. Molly felt a wave of guilt for letting her beloved daughter get into such a world full of hardships and hatred. She thought that maybe, there had been something that the Order had forgotten to do and maybe there was something in the past that she could had done to prevent all of this from happening. And even though she knew that they had done their best to do whatever they can, obviously it wasn't enough.

"I'm okay," Ginny answered. "Just… tired."

"Well, come here, sit down," Molly ushered Ginny to their worn down dining table and let her take a seat. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Yeah, well, I didn't want to bother anyone by knocking on the front door." Ginny said. "I mean, I'm hardly here and I want to… you know… have some piece of normality with the place."

There was a moment of silence as the two generations of the Weasley dynasty contemplated things in their own mind.

"Well, I'm guessing that you would like to talk to Ron," Molly mentioned, taking a sip of her already cold coffee that she had prepared almost an hour before.

"Yeah," Ginny answered. "I would like that."

"Uh… I just want to remind you that he still doesn't know about you working in…the manor," Molly reminded her, making Ginny look up in shame. "And I'm sure that he would not take it well."

"How did you manage to keep it to him?" Ginny asked. "I mean, I've been gone for two months now and… he was bound to notice my absence even if he's…"

Ginny trailed off. Even though Ginny did not finish her sentence, Molly knew what she meant and what she did not want to say. She was sure that Ginny was about to mention Ron's handicap.

"Well, I don't really know, to tell you the truth," Molly admitted, looking guiltily. "He doesn't talk much and I just… guessed that he still know nothing about this since there's no way that he could find out about it, unless… you want to tell him right now…"

"I…I…I think that it's not fair for him to be left in the dark," Ginny admitted.

And even though how much Molly wanted her son to not be burdened with such a disturbing fact, she knew that he had to know. It was not fair and he was bound to find out about it anyway.

"Go on, I think he's in his usual spot."

Molly watched as Ginny hesitated, then stood up and headed towards the other room where Ron was presumably moping in his own little world. She hoped that all went well.

She couldn't handle another problem to add on her already long list.

[][][]

Ron felt her even before he heard her footsteps coming toward him.

"Ron," he heard and felt her little sister crouch in front of her so she and him were face to face. "How're you?"

Ron didn't answer. Instead, he turned his face sideways away from where he heard the voice was coming from. He did not want to talk now. He didn't want to talk to anyone ever. He was fine living in his own, with no human contact except his mother when she brought him food, thank you very much.

It was too painful to talk to people when he knew that there was no point in doing so.

"Ron?"

Ron ignored her.

"Ron, come on… don't do this to me," Ginny was starting to plead. It was not pleasant listening to the sound of her voice. It hurt too much to hear a voice that once had been so full of joy and inspiration that now was filled with depths of misery and torture.

"Can you please talk to me?" she begged. "Look at me, Ron! Don't –"

Ron recoiled as if some painful thing had struck him.

Ginny fell silent shrinking guiltily away, in full knowledge of what she had done.

Ron almost laughed at the irony of things. How different people react to him now as if he would shatter at the sound of something concerning his handicap.

"Gin, how can I look at you when I can't even see," Ron said slowly, his voice hoarse like he had not used it in so many months.

"I'm…I'm…sorry…" Ginny stammered. "I…I…just want to…"

"So tell me Ginny, how's Malfoy?"

"He's—"

Ron could feel Ginny's eyes staring at him incredulously. He felt rather satisfied at her reaction. He knew that what he had said would be a surprise.

"How…how did you know?"

"I hear things," Ron replied, not bothering to explain further.

"Are you mad?"

"How I hate this. Let me count the ways."

There was silence and Ron could feel that Ginny's brain was reeling madly from thinking of something appropriate to say.

"I…I don't know what to say," Ginny said, giving up.

"How could you do it?" Ron asked, his voice quivering slightly from the effort that he was giving to it. It had been so long since he had used his voice and it was not easy to use it to say things he did not want to say in the first place. "How could you… how could you _do_ this to yourself?!"

"Ron, I don't want to do this right now," Ginny answered, sounding like it pained her to see her brother releasing such strong feeling for the first time in how many years. It was heartbreaking that the first sign of emotion that her brother emitted was hatred.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ron fumed. "Did you actually believe I would not notice that you're gone? How thick do you think I am?! I'm goddamn blind Ginny, not stupid, so stop treating me like one."

"We just didn't want you to be hurt!" Ginny sobbed. "I'm sorry if you felt left out or betrayed in some way but we just want the best for you and dad."

"Of course dad wouldn't notice anything with him being too sick and all that," Ron said angrily, still looking sideways. It was much easier to look at a place where he knew that there was no one there than attempting to guess where Ginny's eyes were located. "But I'm not that weak nor disabled that I could not handle it."

"Ron, just drop it okay?" Ginny said. "Yes, I lied, I'm a bad person, let's move on. There's no point in talking about it anyway! It's done it's over, and it's too late to back out now. There's nothing morally wrong with what I'm doing!"

"Nothing wrong?!" Ron asked disbelievingly, his voice getting more hoarse by the second. "_Nothing wrong?!_ Ginny, you're bowing down to Malfoy. To _Malfoy_! Can't you see? He must've been laughing his head off when he found out about you! How can you do this to yourself? How can you do this to _us_?"

"How can you ask me that?" Ginny replied angrily. "Ron, I am doing this for you! Do you actually think that I like being tossed around and treated like a house-elf. I work my ass for all of you! And what do I get in return? You screaming at me, humiliation at the manor and people accusing me for things that I did not do and not even planning to do! Why am I surprised at how helpful you're not?"

"Oh, don't even tell me that you expected me to be all happy and thankful about this!"

"Fine!" Ginny snapped heatedly. "I never expected you to understand anyway. I just want you to know that I am doing this for you and our family. You may not agree with me but I need this job. We need this Ron."

"Fine," Ron said grudgingly. "Fine, fine, fine… Just promise me Ginny…don't get too close."

"What? Don't get too close to who?" Ginny exclaimed. "What are you talking about?"

"Just promise me okay?"

Ron felt Ginny standing up and walking slowly away from him. He had not intended for their conversation to go this way but it was too late to do anything about it now. In his opinion, he did not do anything wrong, in fact, he had provided Ginny what she had been missing for the past two months. Her senses. Ron sensed that there was something fishy going on at Malfoy Manor. He could not explain how he knew because he did not even know where the strange feeling came from but there was this peculiar assurance that he felt.

But then, there, he said it already. That would give Ginny some sort of insight.

Ron should feel happy or even remotely satisfied with what he had just done. But then, he remembered one thing.

Ginny never answered his last comment.

She never promised him anything.

[][][]

-

Thanks for getting this far and please review!


	13. Fatal Attraction

Title: Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor

Author: Fallen Althea

Disclaimer: JKR and Co. Additional Credits will be placed at the end of the page. Also, I would also like to cite more specific references for the previous chapters here… In Chapter Three: Ginny's interview and manor tour is based on Elizabeth: London Calling p.1 onwards, Chapter Four: Ginny's first serving scene is also loosely based on Elizabeth: London Calling p.65, Chapter Nine: The scenes in preparation for the coming of Lavinia including the Emma scene are based on scenes from Elizabeth: A Royal Pain. Also loosely based on the said book is the dinner (p.185 onwards) and the tea party (p.205) scenes. The characters of Mary and Matilda the Cook are also from the mentioned series. Chapter Nine also has quotes from "Angel: City of" book, a novelization of Angel the Series' first episode. This chapter contains scenes from Elizabeth: Downstairs Upstairs p. 57 onwards. The Elizabeth Series is created by Francine Pascal and written by Laurie John.

Also, this whole fic contains random quotes from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel the Series from Joss Whedon. Other quotes can also come from different sources, I collect quotes and sometimes I forget to note where it came from.

I am now completely aware that Ginny's canon real name is Ginevra and not Virginia. I've thought about it but decided that I will not change her name here because it will just be too confusing. The name "Virginia" is taken from Cassandra Clare's Draco Trilogy, a HP fic that I will eternally adore.

Spoilers: SS-HBP, AU from then on.

Summary: The Great War is finally over, but things did not turn out the way they should turn out to be. The Malfoy family is the ruler of the wizarding world and the Weasleys are deprived of their remaining diminutive fortune. They are now living in a state of adverse poverty and Ginny is their only hope to survive. Ginny must, at present, swallow all her pride and dignity and serve the only person that she ever hated when she was in Hogwarts: Draco Malfoy. A d/g fic you've probably never seen before.

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: d/g

Timeline: Post-Hogwarts

Author's Notes: This fic will be finished even if it's the last thing I do! Pathetic really that after four years, this fic is still not complete. I cannot believe that the whole Harry Potter series got completed before this. But really, I just want to finish this thing so I can say to myself that I have written a wonderful novel-length fic that can rot here in Thank you all. Here is the long overdue Chapter Thirteen.

**---**

**Chapter Eleven:**

_**Fatal Attraction**_

"Ginny, after you're through washing the dishes, you could go to the back garden and pick up the vegetables Matilda was requesting," Mary ordered. "And be careful! You won't want to break anything ever again after your disaster with the ancient alliance cup. Honestly, I still can't believe how you got out of that one!"

Taking one swift look at the kitchen, where Ginny was laboriously scrubbing ceramics and pans alike, Mary rushed out of the kitchen door, probably to check what the others were doing with their own chores to complete. It seemed like ever since Vanessa visited the Manor almost three weeks ago, things had been hectic and tense around the mansion. Everybody seemed on edge and overly stressed about the upcoming wedding. This confused Ginny for she saw no reason for them to be so uptight. After all, the wedding was still more or less four months from now. There was plenty of time! Why were they in such a hurry?

These thoughts brought Ginny renewed vigor to scrub the stubborn dirt off the pans more forcefully. The wedding was getting to her nerves more than she liked. Especially now that her life roughly consisted of working her head off for an event she hardly thought was worth celebrating.

Life at Malfoy Manor, after being back from visiting her parents and Ron, was uncannily peaceful. And though that was a good thing for most people, it bothered Ginny. Her daily routine, which consisted of kitchen chores, serving of the family's dinner and random wedding preparation tasks, was getting quite tiresome. But though she tried hard to refrain from thinking about it, what was really bothering her, from the moment that she had set foot in the manor after her one day visit, was Draco's indifference to her. No, not just normal lack of concern that masters have for their servants, it seemed that he was purposely trying to avoid her.

Not that Ginny was expecting a kind of special treatment from him, even given the fact that she had gone to the ball with him and had a surprisingly good time. But there really was this distinct coldness that suddenly radiated from the sarcastic but profound boy that threw Ginny off. As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew that there was something wrong. He wouldn't disregard her all of a sudden, especially after saving her from near extinction with that Slytherin alliance cup fiasco that she had stupidly gotten herself into.

It had been two weeks since he had last spoken to her. The last time, he merely asked her to clean his fireplace again, and then rushed off to go somewhere else, leaving Ginny alone in his vast bedroom. The Ginny two months before would have probably relished the silence of the deserted room, but this Ginny was just plain confused. There were so many things that she wanted to say to him, about the ball, about the chaotic dinner with his fiancée, who she had grown fond to call the _Frozen Queen of the Artic City_, and especially, what _she_ had said to her. This was what bothered Ginny the most. She couldn't put head nor tails to the comment, but she had a funny feeling that she somehow knew, deep inside, what she was talking about. But it was preposterous! There was no way that she could've known!

Known what anyway? Nothing happened! At least nothing that could be seen by the naked eye.

Ginny finished the last of the pans and put them carefully to their respective racks and left them to dry. She then picked up a basket that would be later filled with various vegetables from the garden for the Cook's delight if she did her job right. She then opened the back door and went out to the manor's ironically sunny backyard. It didn't seem right that a family so into sinister activities had a garden as alive and vibrant as this one.

Everything was quiet, and Ginny was forced again to succumb to her thoughts as she cut into stems and flowers. She tried with all her might not to think of the horrid things that kept popping to her brain, but it was no use. She was starting to feel more foolish by the second. She tried in vain to push the thought aside that maybe, there was nothing wrong with Draco, but there was definitely something wrong with _her_. Who was she to think that after a stupid ball, she was entitled more attention from him? And why, all of a sudden, she wanted to actually _have_ more attention from him?

What was wrong with her?

It seemed that she had asked that question way too many times already, since the day that she had accepted this stupid job. But she couldn't help thinking again about that monumental night when everything she believed in came tumbling down, and she was forced to accept the new idea that things were really not as black and white as they may seem…

---

"_So."_

"_So."_

"_How's dear old Ron?" asked Draco in a desperate attempt to fill in the heavy silence. They had been going like this for a while now. Talking then bickering, having a decent conversation then squabbling fervently, enough to make feisty cats ashamed._

_Ginny stiffened as if taken off guard. Draco could tell that she really didn't want to talk about it and this made him feel worse. It was really not his intention to make her feel more uncomfortable._

"_He's fine," Ginny murmured. "He may have lost his 20/20 vision but he still hates you with intense passion so that rules out neurological damage as far as I can tell."_

"_Oh, well, good for him," Draco replied. "Tell him the feeling's mutual."_

"_Will do."_

"_Though who knows, I might actually pay a visit and give the regards myself."_

_Draco almost laughed out loud when he glanced at Ginny and saw her looking horrified. Draco was sure that if she was eating something at that moment, she would be choking to death right about now._

"_You know that's a great idea," Ginny replied. "Mom would welcome you with open arms armed with kitchen knives and Ron would try to break your royal neck. He may be blind, but he could still sense the general direction of your head, seeing how enormous it is. Dad's unconscious most of the time but I know he'll be sending major karma vibes your way. Hmm, sounds like fun, let's go right now."_

_Despite himself, Draco laughed. And before he knew it, he was laughing so hard his sides were hurting. Ginny was looking at him as if he had grown a third head but was trying hard to suppress a smile herself. This brought Draco into another fit of laughter._

"_What?" Ginny couldn't help but laugh too at Draco's uncharacteristic attitude._

_When the sudden gush of amusement had died down, Draco suddenly turned serious and looked directly at Ginny, his piercing silver eyes probing hers, a faint smile still etched in his lips._

"_You lot really hate me that much, huh?"_

_It was not a question, just a mere statement in a tone that sounded foreign even to Draco's ears._

"_Well, we try," Ginny answered. "Ron attempted a spell once that would make you sprout mushrooms and grow tentacles all over your body, but it kind of backfired because he heard the instructions wrong, seeing that he's blind and all."_

"_Seriously?" Draco had a peculiar smile painted on his face. He had no idea why this strange, possibly bogus tale was amusing him so._

"_Yes, then Mom baked your family a cake once," Ginny added._

"_Oh, very thoughtful of her."_

"_Yeah," she continued. "It was a cake that would burn your intestines from the inside out, but it never got to you for some reason. I think the owl ate it. Or one of your servants."_

"_Now, that was unfortunate."_

"_Very," Ginny agreed. "Your father should really have a talk with your staff. Can't have servants that would probably eat half the food at the wedding now, can you?"_

_Draco laughed._

"_You're playing with me, Virginia,"_

_Ginny smiled mischievously. "So what if I am?"_

_---_

"Draco, can I have a word with you?" The stern voice of Lucius Malfoy was enough to snap Draco out of his reluctant reverie. He didn't mean to be thinking about that night again, but there it was, stuck in his brain, repeating over and over again as if charmed by Flitwick into a perpetual loop.

"Yes, Father?"

The two wizards were in the garden, sitting at the manor's sunny patio. One was reading the newspaper with a smug look on his face and one was pretending to read a book entitled, "Darkness and Beyond: A Complete Guide to Magic's Most Potent and Dangerous Spells". Draco couldn't help thinking that, to a stranger's eye, he and his father looked strangely out of place in the sun-drenched backyard, dressed in all black and reading evil themed books, appearing to have a father and son bonding session.

"I was just wandering over the china cabinet in the main sitting room earlier, looking for the head sculpture of great uncle Scorpicious, when I noticed that the Slytherin Alliance Cup, which was given to our family thousands of years ago, is missing," Lucius started.

Draco stiffened. He could tell that his father was eyeing him very closely.

"Really?" Draco answered, cautious not to look too anxious. "Why do you need the head of great uncle Scorpicious for? It'll look dreadful in the living room. Or any other place where it could be seen. Better leave it be, hidden inside the china cabinet where it can terrify no one."

"You do not amuse me, boy," Lucius snapped. "Where is the Alliance Cup?"

"How would I know?" Draco replied nonchalantly.

"Are you sure that you have no idea where it has gone?" Lucius asked once again, a vile threatening sound already evident in his voice.

"Maybe it got misplaced," answered Draco. "I too, have many experiences of my boxer shorts, the one with little snitches on them, missing from my room and suddenly rematerializing at the servants' quarters. Honestly, I have no idea how it got there."

Lucius eyed him suspiciously.

"Why are you asking me, Father?" Draco replied, becoming more agitated by the second. "Better ask Mother too, maybe she used the cup for tea at one of those parties she likes to keep throwing."

Draco couldn't help but think that there was this possibility that his father already knew what had happened and was just testing him.

_But that can't be,_ Draco thought. _Or else he'll be furious by now._

Lucius looked at him intently and Draco met his unwavering gaze. Then after a few moments, Lucius seemed to give up, but there was still suspicion marked along his face.

"I'll talk to your mother when she gets here from Knockturn Alley," said Lucius, turning a page of the newspaper in his hand. "If she doesn't know anything about the sudden disappearance of the Slytherin Alliance Cup, then it will be the servants' turn to quiver." He then proceeded into reading his newspaper as if nothing happened.

Draco blanched. He was thankful that his father had resumed reading the paper or else, he might have noticed that his son had suddenly turned into a sickly shade of pasty white. He had not expected his father to react this way to such a seemingly insignificant thing. Okay, well, maybe not that insignificant. Draco knew that the Alliance Cup was one of the most prized treasures of the whole Malfoy clan, but Draco didn't realize, up until that moment, how importantly his father took the safety of his most valued possessions. The Cup was like any other cup in the house, in Draco's honest opinion. And though it came from Slytherin himself, thousands of years back, it did not hold any magical powers that objects of that age normally had. One would've thought that coming from Slytherin, it would possess magic beyond imagination, but it was just a dirty old cup. Fancily made, yes, but just a cup nonetheless.

That was why Draco only hesitated for a moment before putting the remains of the ruined cup into the bin.

Draco's head was reeling. He knew, that the moment his mother clarified that she had nothing to do with the disappearance of the Cup, the servants would be in an unenviable situation and no doubt, upon interrogation, Mary would happily confess everything to Lucius. Then Ginny…

It all came to him in a sudden wave of understanding. He couldn't let his Father come to the point of questioning the servants, because by then, all was already lost. He knew what his father was capable of doing when he was angry, and in Draco's opinion, the disastrous consequences of his own actions were not at all worth the breakage of one silly cup.

_But you didn't break the cup, remember?_ Draco's sinister side was starting to show itself in sardonic currents of logic. _Why make it your problem when you did nothing wrong? It was even you who actually tried to prevent the incident from snowballing, but you can't do anything now. It's not your problem, leave it be._

But Draco couldn't. However spiteful he was, he knew that he would never forgive himself if one stupid ceramic cost another's life. Draco knew that his father would not hesitate, even for a second, to punish the guilty servant as he saw fit. And that usually included torture weapons of various shapes and sizes or, even in not so extreme cases, a jet of intense green light.

And before he could think of anything else, Draco made up his mind.

"Okay, you got me," Draco confessed, wincing internally while waiting for the outburst to come. "I broke the glass."

Lucius looked up from the paper that he was reading with remarkable speed, his eyes as wide as saucers. A disbelieving gaze fell upon Draco.

"You _what?_"

---

_He did what?_

Ginny was stunned. She couldn't move. She didn't mean to overhear Draco and Lucius' discussion in the patio, but the vegetable garden was way too close to where they were lounging in. Ginny had temporarily forgotten her task and listened in intently, incredulity seeping through her veins.

_What was he thinking?_

"What the hell were you doing rummaging through the china cabinet in the main sitting room?" Lucius bellowed, his face contorting into a terrifying expression of rage. "What were you thinking even breathing near the Alliance Cup? You know how precious it is, irreplaceable! One of the most valued possession of our family that–"

Ginny still couldn't believe her ears. Was this actually happening? Was Draco taking the blame for himself? Just like what she had done to Emma?

"Father, I know, and I'm…very regretful of what happened," Draco apologized. If one could call that an apology. He seemed uncomfortable, as if incapable of saying the actual word, but actually looked remorseful, despite the fact that he had nothing to apologize about. "I was… looking for old aunt Masthiusa's old… um… Mirror of… what's it called? The hand held mirror that would throw compliments every time you look into it. Well, I was searching through the closet and accidentally bumped into the cup and it fell..."

Lucius looked aghast and was still unconvinced. Ginny knew that it was a weak story but was still immensely grateful for Draco for saving her from Lucius' wrath. She couldn't imagine what would happen if she was the one confessing to Lucius about breaking the Slytherin Alliance Cup. Why he was saving her, well, that was another question…

"I tried mending it though, but we both know that it's useless," Draco continued, his tone becoming tenser. "It repels magic, you see-"

"Yes, I know the cup repels magic!" Lucius yelled at the top of his lungs, his face turning into a distinguishable shade of red. "What I don't get is why you were looking through the china cabinet when you are well aware that the mirror is in your Mother's bedroom and has been there for almost a decade now!"

Draco looked caught off guard but he quickly regained his composure, much to Ginny's relief.

"Oh, it was there all along? I have no idea!" Draco let out an obviously phony laugh that even Ginny cringed when she heard it. Draco was fighting to keep his head above water and Lucius was looking more and more murderous by the minute. "I thought Mother placed it on the china cabinet, along with the other handed down items from our ancestors. I think I heard her mention something, not too long ago, about the mirror being exceedingly talkative that she decided to put it away."

Lucius, with his fury, was rendered speechless.

"Father, it doesn't matter," Draco said, confidence somehow seeping to his voice. "The purpose of the cup was to show the whole wizarding world how powerful our family is, to the point of having that close a relationship with Slytherin himself. But Father, we don't need a stupid cup to prove that anymore. They loathe us but they fear us also. We rule the wizarding world and there is nothing that they can do about it. A decade ago, we might have needed that silly old glass to prove to the world how dominant our family is, but gone are the times when that senile Dumbledore and _Harry Potter:_ "The Boy Who Died" ruled our world. They are finished, rotting ten feet below the ground, just as they should be. The wizarding world is now ours. And if that's not a concrete proof on how tremendously powerful we are, then I don't know what is."

Lucius' face was turning back to its normal color. He seemed to be considering Draco's insight very seriously.

"It's just a cup, Father," Draco added, an ominous smile etched in his pale lips. He seemed to be enjoying himself. "We are as powerful without it."

Ginny felt a pang of sorrow in her stomach as she heard Harry's name fall out of Draco's mouth. It had been quite a long time since she last heard the name said in such contempt and indifference. In such blunt cruelty.

_They are finished, rotting ten feet below the ground, just as they should be._

As much as she was grateful for Draco for saving her from inevitable doom, she still felt an innermost hatred directed solely at the boy who treated them like crap for years, who was incredibly cowardly, but had the nerve to insult the bravest and most honorable person she, and the whole wizarding world, had ever known.

He hadn't changed at all.

Ginny cowered in the corner, hiding behind the bushes, trying with all her might to stop a tear that was threatening to fall from her eyes. She did not want to cry. She won't. She owed Harry that much. She needed to be strong, for her family, for him. From that moment, she didn't yearn to talk to Draco anymore, she was better off without him, and it repulsed her to think that she even wanted him to pay more attention to her. Screw him and his fiancée, who was in no position to be threatening her with anything. Nothing had happened between them and nothing ever will.

---

_He hasn't changed a bit and it was stupid for me to think that he ever will,_ Ginny thought as she furiously pushed the soapy mop along the kitchen floor._ How dare he speak ill of Harry like that?_

It was already after dinnertime. Ginny had point blank refused to serve the family dinner that night so Mary gave her extra work taking care of the dishes and the kitchen floor. Ginny felt another pang of grief as thoughts of Harry and happy memories of their Hogwarts years intruded into her brain. With the monotony of tending the floor, there seemed to be no escape from the painful reminiscence of a yesterday that now seemed like a fairy tale.

Had it really happened? Had she actually attended Hogwarts for six years? Made friends and had the time of her life? Had she actually been a part of a one big happy family that consisted of more brothers that she could handle? Ate immeasurable amounts of food and wore personalized sweaters at Christmas? Had the infamous Harry Potter actually fell in love with her, just like what she had been dreaming and daydreaming for years? If all of that were true, then, where were they now? Where was everybody?

Ginny wiped the sweat from her brow and the tears off her cheeks. A year after the Final Battle, Ginny rarely cried for all that they had lost. She had managed to present a brave face to everybody. This was one of those rare moments that she let her grief and her sorrow wash over her in thick waves of regret and longing.

Ginny dipped her mop in the pail full of soapy water and started to soap up the last dry square in front of the doorway. She tried to compose herself. Crying won't do her any good. At that moment, the kitchen door swung open, banging Ginny on the forehead and practically knocking her over. _What the-?_

"Oh!" a voice exclaimed. Someone stepped into the room and rushed towards her. "Are you all right?"

Ginny froze. Though her vision was swimming and her head was throbbing uncontrollably, she couldn't help but be frozen in place.

_What is he doing here?_

"It's okay," Ginny finally said, steadying herself against the counter. She started swaying involuntarily, her vision still reeling from the piercing pain of her forehead colliding with the sharp edges of the door.

"Here, let me help you," Draco awkwardly offered and Ginny let herself be led to the servants' table. Ginny tried to avoid thinking about Draco's hand on her waist and how he smelled like pepper and freshly cut grass. _You're mad at him, remember?_

"I'm okay, really," Ginny assured him, primarily because she wanted him to leave as soon as possible.

"Are you sure?" Draco asked. His eyes had an odd look in it. Ginny couldn't place it.

"I'm fine," Ginny answered. "What are you doing here anyway?" She couldn't help but ask.

"I was…" Draco hesitated. "I was actually looking for you."

Ginny did a double take.

_What did he say?_

"You are?" said Ginny, quite taken aback.

"I just…" Draco hesitated once again. It seemed as if he was not used to these kinds of situations. "I just… wanted to apologize."

Now Ginny was confused. _This must be a dream._

"For what?" Ginny couldn't think of any reason why Draco would be apologizing to her. She didn't even think that Draco was capable of an apology.

"I…" Draco started, looking terribly out of his comfort zone. "Let's just say that I know that you heard everything in the garden earlier, about the cup and the things I said, and that I'm… I just wanted to explain that I had to say it to reel Father in. I had no choice."

Ginny stared at him.

"A little Potter Abuse and I know he'll forget all about the Alliance Cup," Draco added, looking quite proud, as if that explained everything.

"Wha…?" Ginny was beyond confused. Then anger came rushing in. _That's his sorry?_

"Okay, that's it, that's my speech," Draco said, shuffling his feet and looking warily at his surroundings. He never looked so out of place. "You're a smart girl, you'll understand."

A beat passed. Then…

"That's your sorry?" Ginny exclaimed, genuinely furious at the clueless, arrogant blond in front of her. "You've insulted the bravest man the wizarding world had ever known and that's your sorry? That's not even an apology!"

Draco looked affronted.

"You should thank me, you know," Draco said; apparently back to being his conceited, selfish alter ego. "If I hadn't taken the blame, you'll be in big trouble. You should be worshipping me right now! Offering me flowers and a nice fruit basket!"

Ginny was beyond herself. How dare he?

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Ginny with all the sarcasm and spite that she could muster. "I forgot to thank you for abusing the memory of the only man I've ever loved. How can I ever repay you for such kindness?"

Draco unexpectedly had no retort to that. He actually looked surprised

"Oh," Draco said, more like whispered. "I didn't know you two were that… close."

How Draco had never heard that Ginny and Harry went out their sixth year, escaped Ginny. She thought that the whole Hogwarts knew about them. Even Witch Weekly printed an article about their _inevitably tragic_ relationship. Apparently, even the professors of Hogwarts were more up to date with Teen news than Draco Malfoy was.

"We were," she replied.

Draco looked down at the floor and nodded in a defeated sort of way which didn't make sense to Ginny.

"Look, I just want to hear an actual apology," Ginny sighed, her resentment at Draco slowly subsiding. "Preferably with the words 'I'm' and 'sorry'."

Though he could never seem to go through with it, she appreciated his effort for actually trying. Lord knows that she expected a lot less coming from him. He didn't even have to try to apologize in the first place. Ginny didn't know that he saw her hiding behind the bushes.

Draco didn't speak but just continued to stare at the floor with a curious expression in his face. Ginny prodded some more.

"It's not that hard you know," she said. "It's just a four letter word, two syllables."

Draco looked up, his captivating silver eyes meeting Ginny's bewildered ones.

"I'm not Potter, Virginia," he said. "So don't expect me to suddenly be sharing my feelings in the middle of the night, asking apologies to everybody who I've done wrong. I'm not him and I'll never be."

There was a pause. Ginny didn't know what to say.

"If that's not good for you," Draco continued, "then I'm sorry."

He turned to leave but then stopped and turned around before reaching the kitchen door. Without warning and much to Ginny's astonishment, he grabbed Ginny's waist, tenderly touched her cheek and pressed his lips firmly upon hers.


End file.
